Harry Potter and The Curse of a Soul
by reckoner929
Summary: What if the Horcrux Harry had in his head had a bigger affect on him than we realized? Harry dies but is given a second chance to set things right and to maybe live life a little bit better than the first. Some Weasley and Dumbledore bashing.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: ** Hey. This is my first Harry Potter fan fiction story. I always liked the time travel theme of Harry going back. I've read a lot of stories that show Harry getting the Horcrux removed, absorbed, transferred, etc. I haven't read many stories that deal with the issue of the soul itself. I had this idea in my head for a while about how the horcrux in Harry's head actually affected his behavior without making it look like it was all Voldemort. I hope I accomplished that. Any way hope you like the story and give some reviews on what you thought. Criticisms are always helpful if they are done constructively.

**Disclaimer**

The Harry Potter universe and all the characters in it belong to J. K. Rowling. I get nothing out of this except to write the way I want the series to be.

_**Prologue**_

_The creature behind them jerked and moaned, and Harry and Dumbledore sat without talking for the longest time yet. The realization of what would happen next settled gradually over Harry in the long minutes, like softly falling snow._

"_I've got to go back, haven't I?"_

"_That is up to you."_

"_I've got a choice?"_

_Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows _

_Chapter 35, Page 722_

"**NO YOU DO NOT." **

The voice that said that seemed to come from everywhere and yet nowhere at the same time. The area surrounding Dumbledore and Harry transformed from the image of Kings Cross Station into a courtroom. Eerily, it looked exactly like the courtroom Harry was in when he was on trial in front of the Wizengamot before the start of his fifth year. Out of nowhere two chairs appeared behind Harry and Dumbledore knocking them both into the chairs. Chains wrapped around Dumbledore's body tying him securely that he couldn't even move an inch. The more he struggled the tighter the chains got. Inversely Harry was not bound like Dumbledore but he could not get out of his chair.

Harry turned to look at Dumbledore and felt a wave of satisfaction wash over him seeing the "Leader of the Light" chained like a common criminal. Ever since fifth year he had grown even more angry at the way the headmaster acted, especially with the way he treated him with his upbringing if one could call it that and how he manipulated him to do what he wanted all for what he believed to be "THE GREATER GOOD."

Harry looked at the front of the courtroom where the panel of judges is usually placed. There were three people sitting there. An old man with white hair and bright blue eyes sat in the middle and on either side of him sat two beautiful women who looked exactly alike with pitch black hair and piercing dark blue almost black eyes staring down at them and their rather shapely figures reminded Harry of Hermione.

"Where are we? Who are you? What's going on?" questioned Harry blurting out curious as to what is happening.

"You wouldn't even be able to understand where here is but suffice it to say we are known as the panel and it is here where we will determine your fate and where you go from here." Said the old man whose voice sounded full of ancient unbridled power.

"What do you mean decide our fate?" choked out Dumbledore still restrained to the chair.

It was not the old man who answered but the women on either side of him talking in unison. "Usually you would be brought to a check-in station to be registered and then taken to your rightful place in the afterlife but due to the rituals you used we are forced to intervene to determine what the appropriate punishment would be."

As the twins were talking Harry saw Dumbledore's face paling with every word. _Rituals? As in more than one that has to do with death? What are they talking about?_ Harry wondered confused as hell.

The old man whose sole focus was on Dumbledore answered Harry's unasked questions feeling the questioning gaze on him.

"The rituals he performed are not unlike the process to make a Horcrux. Instead of murdering someone in cold blood and then splitting his soul and putting it in an object the ritual he used divided his very essence from his soul and placed it in an object only a certain type of person with specific blood can access it. "

"I thought essence and soul was the same thing……Aren't they?" questioned Harry.

"No. The soul is by definition is usually thought to consist of one's thought's and personality. Essence by definition is the inherent nature of a thing or idea. A person's soul is needed to organize and sort out a person's feelings and idea's. Essence is where the ideas and thoughts are originally formed. Essence is needed to create ideas but the soul is needed to organize and execute it. They work in perfect harmony with one another. Without one the other can survive but the person would be incomplete. Without essence a person cannot create new ideas and cannot properly understand feelings. They will use their minds to work on ideas that have already existed but cannot change and adapt to a new situation. Inversely without a soul the opposite occur. They can create and understand feelings they have but cannot possibly express their ideas and implement them."

The old man paused here for a moment asking if Harry was following along.

"So far."

"Good. Now to divide essence from the soul a person must sacrifice not the life of another in premeditated murder like the Horcrux ritual but rather the most important gift that person values above all else. For your Headmaster it was his magic. When he attempted to destroy the Horcrux his wand hand was destroyed in the process and his magic was weakened considerably. Then the essence must be placed in an object of the person's own creation that can sustain the essence. Notice I said that it has to be placed in an object of the person's own creation. This is because when a person constructs the object they pour a bit of themselves in it unknowingly. Also the object in question must be strong enough to hold the essence onto this plane of existence otherwise it would dissipate if it has no anchor. Does that answer your questions?"

Harry could only nod affirmatively.

"Good. Now, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore as Head Judge it is my duty to sentence you. For being found guilty in using the _**Diripio Substantia Animus (tear apart essence and soul) **_ritual you are hereby sentenced with no possibility of parole to spend the rest of eternity locked in limbo never to move on to the next plane of existence. Dismissed." As soon as the old man banged the gavel a hole appeared under Dumbledore and he fell through yelling. The hole closed up and there was silence yet again.

Harry was shocked at what happened. Words couldn't describe what he was feeling. Stupefied, Harry faced the panel once again wondering what is going to happen to him now. A feeling of fear encompassed Harry unlike anything he has ever felt before. Not even the combined terror of Voldemort, Dementers, Death Eaters, Basiliks, Boggarts, Trolls, and Giants could conjure a fraction of the level of fright he was experiencing right now. If Dumbledore who spend most of his life fighting for the side of good could be so easily sentenced to purgatory then what chance did he have.

"Relax Harry Potter. You will not have the same fate as your headmaster. Unlike him you are an honorable and good man. You have survived through trials that would have destroyed others and turned them evil and yet through all the pain and torment you managed to not succumb to the darkness. Especially with the horcrux inside of you." Said the twins who managed to sooth Harry's fear with their angelic voices. But one thing was bothering him……….

"What do you mean especially the Horcrux in my scar? I thought that it wasn't active like the other Horcrux's?" asked a bewildered Harry.

"Just because it did not try to take over you does not make it inactive." Replied the old man. "The piece of Tom Riddle's soul that was in your scar caused your essence and soul to be uneven. I told you that a person's essence needs to be even with his soul otherwise it would cause problems. Due to the fact that your soul was greater than your essence you could not properly understand certain ideas and feelings. In turn that caused you to overlook certain thoughts and ideas. Ms. Hermione Granger for example was one of the biggest outlooks that you overlooked."

"I've never overlooked Hermione. She's my best friend. I would never hurt her." Retorted Harry angry at the old man's words that insinuated that he didn't care about Hermione.

The old man did not look perturbed in the slightest.

"If that is true then why did you not realize that she was in love with you? Why did you then choose Ron over her almost every time? Just because he was the first person your age to be nice to you? She always stood by you no matter what the situation was even when you were angry with her. She believed you about you not entering your name in the tri-wizard tournament when **Ron **your _supposed best friend_ wouldn't even give you a second look. She took all your temper tantrums and moods without complaint even though it hurt her when you directed it at her. She took it all without complaint and she did that because she fell in love with you. She cared more about your well being than hers. She erased her parents memory intentionally and sent them away knowing with a good chance that they would never forgive her because she could not bear leaving you. To her you are her everything, her whole world. You may not believe it but it is because of you that she has learned to see life especially hers through better eyes. You unknowingly showed her that there is more to life than just being smart and reading books. She fell in love with Harry Potter the person, not the hero even though you are one even if you don't believe it. She fell for the boy that was her best friend, who never gave up no matter what and tried to do the right thing though it wasn't always the easiest thing."

Though the old man spoke calmly like it was an everyday occurrence Harry felt like he got hit with a stunning spell. He wanted to refute that. He wanted to yell out at the old man and say he was wrong but knew he was right. Memories of Hermione flashed through his eyes. How all the times she helped him, was always there for him when he needed it. How could he not have seen it before? _She was always there for me and never doubted me. She stood by me when no one else would and all I did was take her support and help for granted._

"How come I didn't see it before? Why was I unable to realize what I had all along? I should have noticed it before? Why? WHY? OH GOD I'm SO SORRY Hermione. I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you." Harry babbled uncontrollably tears streaking down his face at the pain he caused his best friend who he now realized is the woman he loves more than anything. The one person who has always been there for him and that he now realizes that it's too late to do anything about it. The panel of judges just sat their quietly letting the young man in front of them pour out his frustrations.

After a while Harry's sobs subsided but the desolate look in his eyes did not fade.

"So, are you going to sentence me to hell? I deserve it for how I treated Hermione. I was such a bastard to her. I don't deserve her forgiveness or love. So just get it over with." Harry said tonelessly having all emotion other than guilt and pain drained out of him.

"You should understand young Potter that the reason you did not realize your love for Miss Granger was partly due to the Horcrux in your scar and the way you were raised by the Dursley's. It was not all your fault that you did not recognize the signs. The only examples of love you have seen are ones at school and the Weasley family. Teenagers rarely understand true love and at that stage in life they follow their glands more than their hearts especially boys. As for the Weasley family their idea of love is the type typical of all pureblood families even if they didn't follow all their traditions. To most purebloods status is important and so is wealth. A person is only loved in a pureblood home by what they can provide to the family. If they cannot bring anything of value to their family then they are cast out" said the twin to the right of the Old man.

"Did you know that the Weasley twins were almost cast out of their family because their parents believed that they had no value and only caused mischief and mayhem? One of a pureblood wizard's worst fears is to be cast out of their family. To them a name is a very important commodity. That was why they decided to try and trick you of your money so they can start a joke shop. They also gave some of the money you gave them to their parents in hopes that they would not be cast out. " Finished the twin to the left who until then were silent and the sound of their voices relaxed and soothed Harry much like the way Fawkes did.

"Are you telling me that Fred and George tricked me into giving them my tri-wizard winnings?" said Harry incredulously hardly believing that Fred and George could do something like that to him.

"Yes that is what we are saying. They went to Dumbledore and asked him to help them get money for their joke shop. He had told them that they should try and take money from you since your family has a sizable wealth and that you do not need it. They asked their older brother Bill about your Gringotts vault value and knew you had the money for it. They couldn't just ask you for it because it would interfere with their parents plan to get a hold of your vault and all the gold that was inside. When the found out that the tri-wizard tournament was taking place and the prize would be 1,000 galleons they decided to try and enter. As you know they failed but when your name came out they realized they still had a shot of obtaining the prize money. While in front of you they would act supportive and trustful behind your back they would spread lies about how you were boasting that you fooled everyone and entered on purpose for more fame and glory. The other people n school belived it due to the closeness you had with the Weasley's. They would also drop hints about how they wanted to open up a joke shop but didn't have the funding available. You in your act of kindness gave them your prize money."

Harry just sat there with a stunned expression on his face. _It can't be true........... can it?_

"And let us not also forget the rest of the Weasley family." Said the woman on the old man's right.

"Arthur and Molly Weasley were tired of living in poverty and wanted to live as purebloods should. When Dumbledore approached them about introducing young Ronald Weasley to you they concocted a plan that would allow them to take your gold. After you reduced Tom Riddle to spirit form the first time you were given rewards that included money, properties and even marriage contracts. Given that the Potter's were a reasonably well off family to begin with and were already respected in the wizarding community the prestige only increased after your defeat of Tom Riddle. They decided that you would have to fall in love with their youngest daughter and have a best friend/brother type bond with their son Ronald. They wanted to make it so that you would think of the Weasley's as your surrogate family and would want to do anything for them." the old Man said.

"Percy on orders of Dumbledore was told to cut ties with his family and align himself with the ministry and be a part of Fudge's crowd. It was also on Dumbledore's orders that Percy would give highly edited and fabricated stories to the Minister about you. Bill and Charlie were to be the cool older brothers that you would look up to. It worked for the most part. They dosed you with different lust potions at first that would increase in intensity so it would look less suspicious if you actually declared your undying love to Ginny. The told Ginny what her part was and she agreed to it with the approval of Dumbledore that he remains aligned with a light family." Explained the twins in an odd stereo affect.

At first Harry didn't want to believe what they were saying is true but the more he thought about it the more it made sense. Meeting them at Kings Cross when they could have flooed in, the Christmas presents from people he met only once, to "rescuing" him from the Dursley's, the Firebolt and Ron's verbal attack on Hermione, the jealousy during fourth year and Mrs Weasley's attiyude towards Hermione, Harry dating Cho in fifth even if Ron didn't say it but the look in his eyes when he realized Harry had a hot girlfriend and he didn't, being named Quidditch captain during sixth year. _Did anybody even like me for me?_

"Yes. Don't forget Hermione loved you for you." Replied the Old man.

"What about Sirius and Remus?" questioned Harry dreading what the answer could be.

"Remus was a weak-willed man who was constantly afraid of himself. He never accepted the wolf in him and because of that made him susceptible to outside influence. When Dumbledore told Remus he could not see you for your safety he accepted it right away. He never questioned about your health afterwards or even inquired to how you were doing. Remus was said to be one of your parents' best friends, almost a brother to your father and a sister to Lily. So, he would have known about Petunia and her hatred of all things magical. He would have known that there was a high probability that growing up with the Dursleys you would be beaten, abused, starved and generally treated like a house elf. So why wasn't he there when you needed him? When you needed the support of a substitute uncle, or a godfather, or even a friend? Where was he? He didn't want the responsibility so he ran away and only came back when Dumbledore allowed it; otherwise he would have just stayed away. Also during your fourth year when everyone turned on you and said you tricked your way into the tournament never mind that prior to that you have always been honest and noble. You may have redirected questions, or not answered, but you had never lied to anyone. Remus was under Dumbledore's order not to contact you because he believed that you would need the experience harden you."

"And Sirius?"

"Sirius…. He did care about you that is true but the years in Azkaban altered his perception of reality. A person even if they are innocent can't spend as much time around a dementor and not be affected by it. Because you look a lot like your father Sirius's mind replaced the image of you with James and treated you more like your father than his son."

"Oh." Said Harry. While it hurt that Remus was so easily led by Dumbledore it was hearing that Azkaban made Sirius unhinged that hurt so much more. That he saw him as his father and not as Harry really broke his heart. But as he realized that he remembered that at least Hermione loved him for him that made him know that he could survive the pain. It may only make him feel slightly better right know but maybe one day the pain would stop.

"I mean it's great that your telling me all this but what's the point. I'm dead now and as you said I can't go back."

"I never said that. Actually what I said was that you didn't have the choice to go back. The choice lies entirely with us and we are prepared to send you back." Replied the old man.

Harry leapt out of his seat yelling out joyously that he could go back to finish Tom but more importantly back to Hermione.

"Yes, yes I understand your exuberant reaction is due to the news but please refrain yourself from repeating the acts until you have heard why we are sending you back Harry Potter."

Harry immediately quieted down and sat attentively not unlike a certain bushy haired woman he knew.

"The reason why we are sending you back is due to the fact that you did not die properly." Said the old man like he was saying you answered a question wrong.

Meanwhile Harry was thinking that the old man was off his rocker. _Die properly? You can't die anymore properly than getting hit by the Avada Kedavra curse._

"I see that you are confused. Let me explain and you will understand. On October 31, 1981 Tom Riddle came to your place of residence with the intention of killing all the inhabitants inside. He managed to kill your father and made his way upstairs. Your mother pleaded with him to spare you and take her instead. Her exact words were "Kill me instead" and he agreed but then after he killed her he turned his wand on you with the intent to kill you. He prepared the Horcrux ritual and sent the killing curse at you. To properly separate a soul into pieces cold blooded murder is necessary because with murder the soul becomes unstable for a few minutes. Only the killing curse can be used in the Horcrux ritual since it deals with destroying the soul. Anyway….."

"Wait. What do you mean it destroys the soul?"

"The Avada Kedavra curse was specifically created to be used in the Horcrux ritual. When a person is hit by a killing curse their soul is pushed out of the body and once it is separated from its essence that person dies. There is no anchor to hold the soul to the body. That is why there are never any physical signs on the body. The killing curse deals with removing the spirit of a person from its body. Like I was saying, once the killing curse is cast in conjunction to the Horcrux ritual the soul of the person hit does not die right away instead the soul hit with the killing curse is then used to cut a piece of the soul off and place it in a container. That is one of the main reasons why Tom Riddle did the ritual on situations he deemed important to him."

"Fortunately for you Tom Riddle did not take into account the rules of magic concerning contracts. He by accident placed himself in a contract with your mother right before he killed her. He made a deal with her by agreeing to kill her and not you though not in those words but the intent was clear. Magic focuses on the intent first then the words second. It was a last ditch effort by your mother who wasn't even sure if it would work. By breaching the contract he violated the terms and magic decided to exact the appropriate amount of punishment. It reflected back the killing curse at Tom Riddle causing him to lose his body. But at the time he was in the middle of the ritual and it could not be stopped. The soul fragment he cut had to go somewhere and your body was the only thing available. You see your soul was still attached to your body because he never fully finished the ritual and that allowed you to go back into your body albeit with an extra passenger." Finished the twin on the right.

"Let me see if I got this straight. So you mean to tell me that I actually did die the night Voldemort attacked but because he unknowingly broke some kind of contract with my mother it allowed me to live but with the added piece of Voldemort's soul?" Harry summed up.

"You always did have a way of simplifying things but yes true. So since then you have not been truly grew up like every child but your very being was never in harmony so your body was constantly fighting to survive. Because of this your magic was blocked you from preventing you from accessing your full magical power. In actuality you only had access to half your magic this entire time. One fourth of your magic was being siphoned off to Tom Riddle wherever he was while he was a spirit and later when he regained his body and the other one fourth was constantly fighting the spirit in your body from destroying you thus leaving you weaker than you were."

"But Dumbledore said that it was my mother's love that saved me and gave me protection? If it was a contract made then why did he say it was my mother? wondered Harry.

"It is true that it was the contract that gave you protection but it was your mother's love that made it possible. She loved you so much that even though she knew she would die she found a way to protect you even after death. There is no greater love than that. So in a way your headmaster was right. It was love that saved you that night." the Twins answered almost reverently.

He never thought of it that way. _She didn't have to die but she did anyway to try and protect me. I never thought of it like that. I can understand why she did what she did now. To protect the ones you love from danger a person would do anything they could to stop it. That's why I let Tom hit me with the killing curse. To make him mortal so that he could finally die. I....finally understand why love, specifically love for another, can be the 'power he knows not'. Tom would never sacrifice himself for another so he can't understand why someone would. Thank you mom for your sacrifice. I think ...I truly understand now what it means ....to love someone. _

"Where or should I say when will you be sending be back?" Harry questioned after his little revelation.

"You will find out when you get there which will be now." Retorted the twins. As soon as they finished speaking a hole appeared underneath Harry like it did with Dumbledore and he fell yelling going into the unknown.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you for all the people who have reviewed. It means a lot to me to hear your feedback. In one of my reviews I was asked how Dumbledore could be there if his soul was destroyed. The answer is that the soul is only destroyed when the person uses the killing curse with the horcrux ritual. Otherwise when a person is normally hit their soul is pushed out of the body and moves on. Sorry if I wasn't clear with that. Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it.

"Ow. Can't they warn a guy before they do something like that?"Groaned Harry.

He stood up and looked at the area around him. It looked like he was in a muggle residential area. The houses were not as close as the houses on Privet Drive but not too far apart that you had to walk to far. Harry could see leaves blowing in the wind but he couldn't feel the wind. The area looked vaguely familiar to him but he couldn't remember from where.

"Where the hell am I?" he questioned out loud.

"Godric's Hollow, Mr. Potter." Said a voice behind him.

Startled, Harry turned around instinctively reaching for his wand but feeling nothing but air turned to see the face of the Old man who was at the trial.

"DON"T DO THAT." Harry screamed. A second later he registered what the Old man said and stammered, "G-G-G-oodric's H-H-H-o-o-llow-w-w?"

"My apologies Mr. Potter and yes we are at Godric's Hollow. "Said the Old man calmly starting to walk away.

Now that he knew where he was it made sense that he thought the area looked familiar. It looked different than the last time he was here but then again it was Christmas and it was snowing.

"Why are we here? I thought I was going back in time." Harry asked falling in line with the old man.

"You did go back in time. Today is October 31, 1981 approximately 6:30 A.M."

As soon as he heard the date Harry froze. It was the day Voldemort attacked the Potter's and killed his parents. _But the old man said 6:30 A.M so that means they're still alive. HOLY FUCKING HELL!!! MY PARENTS ARE ALIVE!!_

At that realization, tears of joy started falling from Harry's face. The prospect of actually seeing his parents alive was a dream come true. Before he could start looking the Old man snapped his fingers and froze Harry.

"HEY! What are you doing? I want to see my parents. Let me go." Harry growled angrily.

"Not before you hear what I have to say. Time passes much slower while I am here. You will see your parents soon so be patient. There are a few things I need to discuss with you that I was unable to tell you before." The Old man stated.

"Fine." Harry resignedly said. "Make it fast." With another snap of his fingers Harry was unfrozen.

"Thank you. The first thing I would like to tell you is that you have two paths that you can take at this point. the first path is that I can return you back to the forbidden forest right after Tom Riddle shot the killing curse at you and you take your chances with him or I can let you merge with your younger self in this time and you can live your life from here. But know that whatever choice you choose will be final and cannot be changed. Also you will not remember your former life if you do choose to merge with your younger self. Incidentally, if you do choose to go back to the forest you will not remember any of the conversations we had." The old man said as he started walking again.

"If I don't remember then how will I know what to do? Won't I just do the same choices over again if I choose to merge with my younger self?"

"We will from time to time give you visions about what needs to be done at a certain time. Also remember that the Horcrux affected your reasoning and thought process. If you do choose to merge the Horcrux will not be there anymore."

"And if I choose to go back to my time?"

"The Horcrux in your head will be gone and Voldemort will be mortal. You two will most likely have to duel each other and though Voldemort has the Elder Wand in his possession."

"What does Voldemort having the Elder Wand mean? I thought I was the Master of the Deathly Hallows." Harry said bemusedly.

"Yes you are the Master of Death but Voldemort is also the master of the elder wand and has some power over the wand. The Horcrux in your head gave him partial possession of the wand as well. When he shot the killing curse at you he killed his Horcrux and you. As of this moment Tom Riddle has possession of the wand but if you go back it will be up for grabs between the two of you as to whom the owner is. The wand can only be passed on when a person is defeated. You willingly gave up without a fight transferring the wand to Riddle but when he killed the part of his soul attached to you he also defeated himself at the same time and the wand changed owners again. As of this moment nobody is the Master of the Elder wand." Explained the Old Man.

"Oh."

"At any rate you don't have to decide till after Riddle attacks tonight."

"Is there any way to save my parents? Anything?" Harry desperately asks.

For the first time an expression of sadness is seen on his face.

"There is nothing that can be done to save them. I'm sorry."

"YOU'RE SORRY? THAT"S IT! IT"S NOT FAIR. WHY SHOULD THEY DIE WHILE PEOPLE LIKE MALFOY AND LESTRANGE LIVE? TELL ME HOW THAT IS RIGHT AND DON'T TELL ME IT'S FOR THE GREATER GOOD. THE GREATER GOOD CAN KISS MY ASS FOR ALL I CARE." Harry Yelled.

"IT'S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT YOU. DID YOU EVER WONDER WHY THEY FOUGHT SO HARD? SO THAT YOU CAN LIVE. INSTEAD OF HONORING THEIR SACRIFICE YOU INSULT THEM BY ACTING THIS WAY. BUT YOU'RE SO BLINDED BY YOUR OWN PAIN THAT YOU CAN'T SEE THAT OTHERS SUFFER AS WELL." The Old man yelled back losing his patience with him.

The shock of him yelling stopped Harry. His voice when he yelled was full of power and felt ancient. For the first time he saw a glimpse of his power and it was mind boggling. Realizing that the being in front of him could kill him quite easily he quieted down.

The Old man seeing him listen immediately calmed down.

"I apologize for my outburst young Potter. I had no right to yell at you like that. I should have realized that for a person who has constantly wished for his parents to be alive it would be most distressing to find out that no matter what you do they will die. For that I apologize."

Watching him apologize took all the anger out of Harry and made him see that he was acting like a brat throwing a temper tantrum.

"Your right. I'm sorry for acting like that. It just hurts to know that I can't save them. The two people I want the most and I can't do anything. It's just not fair." Harry said crying.

The old man pulled him in his arms and gave him a hug. The feeling that he was giving off made Harry finally break down and mourn for his parents.

He cried for all the lost experiences they would never share, for all the love they will never see, for all the times they would never be there. He cried for all the pain in his life and all the suffering and betrayal that has happened to him and all the people associated with him. He just cried.

After crying his eyes out Harry felt lighter, freer. It felt as if there was an unknown weight on him being lifted off of him. The pain was still there but dulled and he knew that only time would fix it.

Sheepishly he moved out of the Old man's embrace and straightened up.

"Thanks….for …you know. I mean…. for….letting me….." Harry trailed off embarrassed at his reactions.

"Your welcome." the Old man replied sparing Harry the embarrassment.

"Now if you have any questions to ask me now is the time to ask." the Old man asked

Grateful for the change in conversation he eagerly took it.

"Now that you mention it there are a few things I would like to ask. "

"Ask away. We have all the time in the world."

"First off do I still have the imbalance between my soul and essence in me and what about the Horcrux that was attached to me?" Harry asked hoping that it was gone.

"The Horcrux that resided in your scar was destroyed when you were hit with the Killing curse. Remember I told you that whatever choice you make the Horcrux will be gone from you."

"And the imbalance?"

Here the Old man hesitated.

"It's gone right? I'm in harmony with my soul and essence. Tell me I'm right?" Harry questioned feeling panicked that he might not be right.

"You have to understand that your soul was oppressed for almost all your life. It would take time for it to fully grow and right itself." Seeing Harry's expression he hastened add that it would eventually fix it self.

"If you were to go back to your time it could take years for you to heal and by then you might not want to live the life you are living then. You might be married to Ginny Weasley in that time and might even name a kid of yours after your headmaster or potions professor. It might even be a combination of the two."

The look on Harry's face was priceless. It was a cross between shock, disgust, and horror. It was quite funny looking which caused the Old man to laugh.

"That's not even funny Old man." He continued to laugh.

"Stop Laughing. Please?" by the end Harry was pleading.

"I'm sorry it's just the look on your face was hilarious and I haven't laughed like that in a while." He was still chuckling though.

"What would happen if I merged with my younger self's soul?"

"You would be reborn so to speak. You would not be the Harry you are now but you would be the Harry you should have been if you didn't have a soul piece in you. Not to say that the you of now isn't how you're supposed to be but it's not your true self. Understand?"

Seeing the lack of understanding he tried a different route.

"Take for example your wearing a mask. When you put it on it cover's your face and hides your identity. In your case the mask you're wearing is only covering half your face. The other half that is not covered is your true self but part of you is still covered. When you do take it off it takes you some time to adjust to the feeling of not wearing a mask on your face. It may feel unnatural at first but after a while that feeling would fade and eventually you will forget the feeling of having a mask on your face." Finished The Old man seeing Harry understand.

"Okay. That makes sense. Next question. You said that the Weasley's betrayed me but the way you said it sounded as if they were following Dumbledore's orders. I want to know how and why." Harry said determined to know why they would betray him.

"I'm afraid I don't quite follow. I thought I explained my self at the courtroom." Said the Old man perplexed.

"I can understand and believe why Ginny would make me fall in love with her. I can even believe that Ron would be jealous and only want me for money and fame. The same with Molly and Percy but its Arthur, Fred, and George that is making me hard to accept it."

"What about Bill and Charlie?"

"I don't know them really all that well so what they did or did not do wouldn't really matter to me. It's those three that I'm wondering about. Arthur's been nothing but helpful to me and even if the twins tricked me for the money I can understand. Doesn't mean I have to like it but I understand why they would do something like that."

"Let's start with the twins. When their business started booming they wanted to expand but they needed more gold than they have. They overheard the plot to get you to fall in love with their sister and provided the potion ingredients and even had the finished potions delivered to Hogwarts under their disguised programs to smuggle objects into Hogwarts."

Harry was again stunned that the twins would do something like that. Its one thing to trick someone but quite another to rob a person of their own will just for their own gains.

He never expected for them to be like that.

"And Arthur?"

"In a pureblood household whenever a person joins the family either through marriage or birth they have to pledge an oath of loyalty to the head of the family for the rest of their life. This is to make sure that any actions they take that can have a huge impact on family must be approved by the head. That is why there is no divorce in the Wizarding world and also why marriage is so important. Once you are married it is for life."

"So basically in order for any of the family members to do something that can have a big effect it has to be cleared by the head of house?" Harry inquired.

"That's the gist of it." Was the answer he received.

"So then why did Arthur act the way he did? Why did it look like Molly was the one in charge instead of Arthur?"

"Appearances. Arthur has a reputation as a meek mild mannered man but it is only a front. He chooses to act that way so when something does happen they would never think that he is capable of it." Answered back the Old man.

_Makes sense in a way. Dumbledore put on this grand fatherly act to get people to trust him so why wouldn't Arthur do something like that as well. Every other pureblood male believes themselves to be superior to all other beings that were magical and muggle so why didn't he act like all the others. Even his own kids had some arrogance to them. Some were more pronounced than others but it was there. _Harry thought.

"I know it hurts to find out that people you trusted betrayed you but it's better to find out when you can do something to change it than when you can't." The Old man said wisely.

"Your right but it still hurts and will hurt for a while." Countered Harry.

For a while neither said anything but walked in silence. Harry lost in his own thoughts and the Old man patiently waiting giving him the time he needed to assimilate the information. The sun was starting to rise higher and signs of life were beginning to show around the area.

"I was wondering…..if I do choose to merge with my younger self what will happen to the timeline that I am from?" probed Harry curious.

"If you do choose that path the timeline uyou just came from will be gone. It will never exist." Replied the Old man.

"WHAT?! I don't want to be the reason for all those people dying. If that's the case then I'll just go back." Declared Harry stubbornly.

For the second time in an hour the Old man laughed again.

"HEY. This is not a laughing matter. I'm dead serious about it."

"I'm sorry. It's just too funny. Have you ever thought of being a comedian? You'd make a killing if you did." Wisecracked the Old man.

"Eh?" was Harry's oh so brilliant counter. "I'm missing something aren't I?"

"Do you actually think you would be responsible? It's not the first time we've done something like this."

"You've done this before?" exclaimed Harry.

"Yes but not too often. We try not to meddle too much in the affairs of your world. Only if the situation calls for it." Parried the Old man.

"What kind of situations?"

"Mass genocide, disasters that affect massive areas, deaths of particularly important people that affect the world, stuff like that."

"Oh."

"You see when we meddle we change only one choice a person makes. We try to make the best choice that has the most impact on the world without causing it too much harm. The people who lived in your time will still exist here but they won't be the same in your interactions. Close but not exact. Sometimes minor changes have the biggest impact. Remember that." Uttered the Old man.

"Why won't they be the same?" questioned Harry.

"Because you won't be the same. A person is based on their interactions with everything. Since you will be different your interactions should be different as well." He lectured.

"I guess." Replied a perplexed Harry.

"Don't worry you'll see soon enough. Anything else you wish to know?"

"Will I be able to save the people who died before?" Harry questioned having the idea in his mind for a while.

The Old man gave a sigh before answering.

"Depends. Theoretically if they died of an unnatural death then yes but for some people it just might be there time. Or someone else might take their place. It's one of those what if situations. What if I did this instead of that? All of it hinges on how different the time line would become."

Harry was disappointed that he couldn't get a more definite answer.

"Thanks. I guess I'll just have to see when the time comes."

"I'm sorry I couldn't give you a more exact answer."

He truly did look sad.

"So when do I merge with my younger self if I do choose that path? It'll be weird being little again. Not like I remembered the first time." Harry skillfully changing the subject.

"Tonight after Riddle's attack."

"So what should I do in the mean time?"

"We thought it would be a good idea if you were able to see your parents the day they died just to have something to remember them by."

"Seriously? I can see my parents."

"Yes but they can't see or hear you at all. Consider it a wish fulfilled for all the times you desperately wanted to see them."

Harry was at a loss of words. One of his fondest wish was to actually see his parents with his own eyes even if it is for a day.

"Thank You. You have no idea how much this means to me. Can I see them now?"

"Were already here. Look to your right." The Old man intoned.

Baffled, Harry turned to his side. In front of him was a beautiful two story house. The grass on the front lawn looked parched. There was a big apple tree on the side. The leaves were falling off in a myriad of colors. Without even having to ask he knew that this was where his parents lived.

_It's my home._


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. With school and work I didn't have enough time to post this. Any way here's the next chapter.

Chapter 3

_It's my house. _

That was the only thought going through Harry's mind at the time. He could scarcely believe it. In his entire life all he ever wanted was to find a place that he belonged to. He always wanted to experience the feeling of joy that many of his classmates felt when they left Hogwarts to go home. The closest he ever felt like that was when he was with Sirius at Grimmauld place but even that was marred with the attack on Arthur Weasley and what he thought was his feelings at the attack.

Standing in front of his house knowing that his parents were just a few feet away alive and well inside their home scared and exhilarated him. Despite knowing that his parents couldn't see him didn't make Harry any less nervous.

Turning to the side Harry expected to see the Old man there standing next to him but when he looked around he was alone. Looking around him he couldn't find the old geezer anywhere.

_Great. He couldn't even say that he was going. I could have used some moral support. At least he could have given me some kind of advice. _Harry thought scathingly.

_Oh well. No time to be scared now Potter. You're a Gryffindor and Gryffindors charge ahead. _

With this thought in mind Harry strode forward towards the house. Walking up the stairs he was standing at the front door Harry went to open it but his hand passed through the knob.

_The hell? Why can't I grab the knob? It's like I'm a ghost. I mean…. _Harry trailed off realizing that he is dead now so he doesn't have a physical body.

_Hee hee. Whoops. I was having a Ron moment there. _Harry thought amusedly. Seeing his hand pass through the knob again gave him an idea.

_If I can't open the door maybe I can go through it. It's worth a shot._

With that thought in mind he steeped through the door and emerged on the other side. _It worked!_

The front door opened into a long hallway, lit with gas lamps and had a moderately sized chandelier. the chandelier was not as big as the one in Grimmauld place but still a respectable size. The look was completed with ornate portraits on the walls. Closer inspection of the portraits shows that they were pictures of people. On one side of the entry hall sits a dining room where a dresser holds the china complete with the Potter family crest. It was the image of a wand and a sword crossing each other in the shape of an X.

Harry, standing at the entrance just gazed at the room entranced. Seeing the pictures on the side he gets closer to them and sees that they are sleeping. Looking at one portrait he looks at the plaque and sees the name on it.

**Charlus and Dorea Potter**

**May 19, 1958**

_These are my grandparents. It looks like they were just recently married. _Harry thought with amazement looking fondly at two people he never met before but knew about_._ He could see the resemblance between Charlus Potter and himself.

_I guess Potter men looking like their fathers are common traits. _Harry thought wryly.

Dorea Potter nee Black looked a lot like a mixture of Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange but with a more gentle expression and soft smile that made her look more beautiful than either them in their prime.

_I hope you two were happy together._

Moving on he saw other pictures of past family members. Some serious looking, some smiling, but with expressions on their face that showed their joy, Harry for the first time felt a connection with the Potter name. For a long time he felt that his last name was just that a name and could never understand how purebloods took so much pride in their name but now standing here seeing his ancestors showed him that there was so much more to it than that. He felt pride at the fact that he was a Potter and pledged to himself to make it a name to be proud to bear.

A door at the far end of the entry hall opened up to the living room. The furniture in there was set up in a way to make all people there feel welcome. At the wall there was a set of large windows overlooking the street in front of the house, a large fireplace flanked by two ornate glass-fronted cabinets, and an entire wall covered with a tapestry of the Potter family tree.

On Harry's right side there was a door that led to the kitchen. He went through there and saw the kitchen was pretty much an all muggle kitchen in terms of size and equipment. Harry looked surprised at the room.

_I didn't expect to see a muggle-like kitchen in the house. The other rooms looked like it was part of a typical pureblood home and I thought the rest of the house would reflect that. Must have been mom's doing. Dad grew up as a pureblood so his taste would be similar to that as well.  
_

He was about to leave the room when the door behind him suddenly opened and a woman stepped in. Harry turned to locate the sound and froze as he saw who it was.

Lily Potter entered the room and started to make breakfast. Harry could hardly believe it. Until know all he had seen of his mother was in pictures but they did not do her justice. She was described as being very pretty by others but to Harry she was one of the most beautiful woman he has seen except for Hermione but for different reasons. She had startlingly green almond-shaped eyes exactly like him and thick, shoulder-length dark red hair. It made the Weasley's red hair look like drab compared to Lily's hair

Harry remembered Slughorn describing her as one of his "all-time favorite students" who was "vivacious", "charming", "very brave", and "very funny". Harry could understand now why Lily was a popular girl for whom many boys had romantic feelings. Her looks alone would have guaranteed it but combined with her personality it's easy to see why so many people adored her.

Lily Potter continued to make breakfast unaware that she was being watched by an unseen visitor who was taking in her appearance.

"James breakfast is ready." Lily Potter yelled.

"I'm right here Lils, you don't have to shout." Replied an amused voice right next to her.

Startled, she jumped at the sound of his voice and looked in to the eyes of her husband James Potter.

Annoyed, she smacked him in the chest with her hand.

"Merlin, James you scared me."

"Sorry babe. You know its Halloween and all." Retorted an obviously unrepentant James grinning.

"You're incorrigible."

"Yep and you love me for it."

"That I do though god knows why." Answered Lily with a smile on her face. She leaned up and gave him a peck on the lips. They sat down and started on their breakfast.

Meanwhile Harry was just staring at the two of them with obvious signs of joy on his face. He looked into the face of his father and could understand why people always said he looked like his father.

They both have similar attributes: the same thin face, same hands, and the same untidy black hair sticking up at the back, and nearly the same height as well. But Harry was also glad that he did not look exactly like a miniature clone of his father. James having hazel eyes while Harry has green eyes and James had a slightly longer nose than Harry.

Harry just sat there and watched his parents interact with each other. He always imagined what it would be like but actually seeing and experiencing it was so much better. The banter, the way they looked at each other with love made his heart easier. He idly wondered if he would ever experience that with Hermione and desperately hoped he would.

After seeing Snape's memories of his mother a part of him wondered if his mother ever loved Snape the way he loved her and regretted not forgiving and choosing him. Seeing her and watching her interact with James, Harry could see that she looked truly happy and it eased his heart a little.

His introspection was broken by the sound of crying.

"I'll get him." Said James standing up and leaving the room.

_Get who?_ Harry wondered.

A couple of minutes later James came back in carrying a baby in his arms.

"Mama." Said a one year old Harry stretching his arms to Lily.

"Hey there sweetie. Mama's right here. I got you." Said Lily taking Harry from James and holding him.

"Why does he always want you? I'm his dad." Mocked complained James crossing his arms across his chest for emphasis and trying to look stern but failing miserably.

"It's just because I'm prettier than you that he likes me and I feed him." Replied Lily.

"Of course, that's the reason. How stupid of me to not think of it." Deadpanned James.

The sound of their son giggling made both parents smile with joy.

"See Lils, you've even turned my son against me." Cried out James dramatically pointing at them.

"James, be a dear and do shut up." Snapped back Lily but with no real venom to it.

"I have to change Harry's diaper. James be a dear and clean up in here." Ordered Lily as she took Harry and went upstairs.

"Yes ma'am." Saluted James. He waved his wand and all the dishes were spotless. Another wave and they were put back in their rightful places.

The older Harry decided to follow his mother and his younger self upstairs. He saw her go into a room on his right and followed.

The room was bigger than the second bedroom he had at the Dursley's. The walls were a deep blue color and had pictures of Harry with his parents. There was a few with Sirius, Remus and Peter in it as well. There was a crib on the side and a changing table on the other side. There were various toys scattered around the room.

"Time to change your diaper my little angel." Cooed Lily Potter.

Little Harry just giggled at his mother.

Older Harry was watching with a smile of contentment on his face.

After she changed and cleaned him Lily lifted him up.

"I love you my little angel. So very much. Yes I Do." said Lily lovingly.

Toddler Harry just smiled at his mother and laughed. Together they left the room and went back downstairs leaving only the older Harry in the room.

"I love you too…Mom."

* * *

For the rest of the day Harry watched his family. He saw himself riding a toy broomstick around the room while listening to James saying, "he's a natural" and to Lily's admonishment "he's too young to be riding a broomstick" all the while listening to little Harry's shriek of joys. Even at one he was doing crazy stuff on his broom.

All too soon however night came and Harry's mood began to drop. He knew that time was almost up and he didn't want it to end. Voldemort would be here soon because of Wormtail telling him where they were and Snape telling Voldemort the prophecy and kill his parents. He wished he could save them but also knew that sometimes the only way to beat someone as deranged and cruel as Voldemort and give people peace sometimes involve sacrificing what you want most of all.

He understood it and hated himself for understanding it.

"James. Harry is getting sleepy. I'm going to put him to bed and come back down." Said Lily.

"Alright Lils. Sweet dreams pronglet." Said James kissing is son's forehead lovingly.

She picked up Harry and took him upstairs. By the time they reached his room Harry was already asleep.

"Goodnight my sweet angel. Pleasant dreams." Whispered Lily tenderly giving Harry a soft kiss on his forehead not knowing that it would be the last kiss she ever gave him.

She left the room and came downstairs seeing her husband sitting on the couch sat next to him. Before she could get comfortable the alarm wards started going off. Shocked, both Potters leaped off the couch to see what triggered it.

It was James who spotted him first.

"Lily…it's him. He's here. Peter betrayed us. Take Harry and go." instructed James seriously.

"What about you?" replied Lily fearfully.

"I'm going to try and stall him and give you enough time to get away. Now Go." Ordered James.

"But James...."

"Lily you have to. He's here to kill Harry and I won't let that happen." They heard the front door bing assaulted and knew it would give way any second now.

"GO NOW!" James yelled pushing Lily towards the staircase.

"I love you." Was Lily's parting remark as she ran upstairs to get her son.

"I love you too." James replied knowing full well that he won't survive the following confrontation. Harry stood there watching helplessly.

The front door broke down and Voldemort walked in. He no longer looked liked the handsome man he was before the dark rituals before but was still human looking. He didn't look like the man snake that Harry remembered emerging from the cauldron fourth year either but somewhere in between the two.

"James." Voldemort said mockingly. His voice did not yet have the sibilant sound of a snake.

"Voldemort."

"You've been a thorn in my side for too long Potter. I'm here to eliminate you and your family and end the Potter line." Sneered Voldemort.

"You can try but you won't succeed." Retorted James holding his wand in front of him.

"We'll see about that."

Voldemort fired of an _Avada Kedavra _curse at James who rolled out of the way. James responded with _Deprimo_ aiming at Voldemort's feet. Voldemort casually blocked it before it could hit.

"Come now James surely you can do better than that." Taunted Voldemort.

James didn't respond. Instead he rattled of spells in a chain.

"_Ducklifors. Duro. Reducto. Defodio. Piscifors. Diffindo. Expulso."_

Voldemort blocked most of them but the last two spells managed to pierce through his _Protego _shield. The _Diffindo _spell hit Voldemort on the side of his face giving him a long gash across his cheek. The _Expulso_ spell hit the floor Voldemort was standing on exploded under his feet making him lose his footing. Before Voldemort could recover a stag appeared in front of him and tackled him. The stag immediately changed back to James who fired of an _Ebublio _at him.

Harry who could only stand there and watch his father fight was amazed. James only used transfiguration spells and did it with such skill and finesse. He knew his father was gifted in Transfiguration according to McGonagall but not to this extent. He even used his animagus form in battle and did it quite effectively.

Voldemort managed to block it and started to fight back. James, who was tired from the rapid spell casting and transformation barely managed to defend himself.

Voldemort casted _Crucio _and hit James full on. He watched as James writhed on the ground screaming in pain. After a few moments he released the spell on him. Voldemort then said _Accio wand _pointing at James Potter's wand. It sailed out of his hand and into Voldemort's who promptly snapped it in half letting the two pieces fall to the ground.

"I'll admit. You fought well James but you forget who you are dealing with. Did you really think you had a chance? I was going to let you live long enough to let you see me kill your wife and child but instead I'll kill you now. Remember in your last moments that you failed to protect your family and let that thought haunt you for all eternity. _Avada Kedavra_."

The green light of the wand shot out of Voldemort's wand and impacted James. It hit him dead on in the chest and the light from his eyes died.

Voldemort not even showing any remorse stepped over the body and made his way upstairs.

Harry who was standing there watched open mouthed as he saw his father die. Tears were streaming down his face at the injustice of it all. Kneeling down, next to the body of his dead father Harry could only stare in horror. Just a few hours ago those eyes were full of life and happiness and now it was devoid of everything.

_Dad…_

A scream was heard upstairs snapping Harry back to reality and one word escaping from his mouth.

"Mom…"

Harry ran upstairs and went to his room just in time to see Voldemort kill Lily Potter with the Killing Curse.

"NOOOOOOO….." Harry screamed. You could hear the pain and sadness in his voice. He looked up and saw Voldemort in the process of the Horcrux ritual. He saw him cast the curse at his younger self and watched as the curse rebounded. He saw the piece of Voldemort's soul attaching to his younger counterpart's soul.

"Quickly now. We must hurry." Said a voice next to Harry.

Turning to his side Harry saw the Old man and the twins surround him and his younger self in a triangular formation. They started speaking in an unknown language and all of a sudden everything slowed down.

"What happened?" asked Harry.

"We have slowed down time for a few moments. We need to hear you final decision young Potter and we need to hear it now." Said the Old man sternly.

Harry knowing that time was up and a decision needed to be made.

"At first I was thinking that I would go back to the forest and fight Voldemort there because I thought I might have a chance of beating him. Also even if that life wasn't perfect it was still my life and I wanted to go back to Hermione. I now realize that I would have died had I gone back. I saw my father duel in a way I never dreamed of and it still wasn't enough to stop **him**. You ask me if I had made my choice. The answer is yes I have." Lectured Harry.

The old man just waited expectantly to hear his choice though already having a good idea what it is.

"I will merge with my younger self so that I can be in harmony with my soul and essence. Doing that will also destroy one of Tom's Horcrux's as well so do what you must." Ended Harry.

"Very well then." Said the twins.

They started to chant again in that unknown language and Harry felt as if he was apparating. All he could feel was the sensation of being squeezed through a tube. It ended and the two souls of Harry Potter became one while destroying the soul piece attached to him. Unfortunately because of the amount of dark magic involved a mark was left on the forehead of Harry Potter in the shape of a lightning bolt. It seemed to be pulsing with energy and gave off a faint glow. Over time though it would fade.

The backlash of the energy exploded outward causing the house to catch fire and in the center of the crib where Harry Potter was laying on seconds before was now empty.

.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Here's the next chapter. Hope it's to your liking. Takes place nine years after Voldemort attacked. Just wanted to show what was happening before Harry came to Hogwarts. Next chapter will skip to when Harry is eleven and show what happened to Harry and he'll get his letter from Hogwarts. Also I realized I didn't define the different spells I used in the last chapter so here it is if anyone's interested.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and never will.

The **Killing Curse** is a spell that causes instantaneous death and is one of the three Unforgivable Curses. There is no known counter-curse or cure for it; however, one may dodge the green bolt or use a physical barrier to block it. An explosion or green fire may result if the spell hits something other than a living target. Its incantation is _**Avada Kedavra**_. _**Avada Kedavra**_ is based on the Aramaic אבדא כדברא _avada kedavra_, meaning _"I destroy as I speak"_. It is also a pun with "abracadabra", which is a famous word used as an incantation.

The **Cruciatus Curse** is one of the three Unforgivable Curses of the wizarding world. It is a curse of torture, inflicting excruciating pain on a victim. The incantation is _**Crucio**_ and takes its name from the Latin for "torture," from which term the word "crucify" also comes. It literally means "I torture".

**Deprimo** –a spell which places immense downward pressure upon a target, which may cause the target to fracture. The incantation for this spell may be derived from the Latin _**deprimo**_, meaning "I press down".

_**Ducklifors**_ -a spell that transfigures a living being into ducklings.

The **Reductor Curse** is a spell used to blast solid objects into pieces. The incantation for this spell is _**Reducto**_._ Reducto_ may come from the English verb _reduce_, "to bring down, destroy"

The **Gouging Spell** causes deep gouges or hollows to appear in a target. Its incantation is _**Defodio**_. Defodio is Latin for "I dig".

_**Piscifors**_ is a spell. Its effect is unknown, but the name of the spell suggests that it would be used to transfigure an enemy into fish. From the Latin "_pisces_", meaning "_fish_" and "_fors_" meaning "_luck_"

The **Severing Charm** is a spell that rips, divides and separates objects into parts. The incantation for this spell is _**Diffindo**__. Diffindo_ is Latin for "to split, cleave, or open".

_**Expulso**_ is a spell that causes an object to explode. The force of the explosion may depend on the intent of the caster. _**Expulso**_is a Latin verb meaning "to drive out, to expel". A different version of this spell would be _**Bombarda**_or for a stronger version _**Bombarda Maxima**_.

_**Ebublio**_ is a spell. When cast, it makes the victim inflate and then explode into hundreds of bubbles.

Chapter 4

_October 31, 1990_

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards (ICW), Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot relaxed in his office at Hogwarts after a particularly long day of celebrations. He had just come back from the Halloween feast that the school has every year for its students and let out a groan after feeling comfortable in his chair. It had been exactly nine years to date since the apparent destruction of the dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort heir of Salazar Slytherin at the hands of the Potters.

This night always reminded Dumbledore with crystal clarity of the events that played out nine years ago on this very night.

_Flashback _

_October 31. 1981_

Albus Dumbledore was in his office at Hogwarts after attending the Halloween feast hard at work. He was busy signing some documents in silence for the school when an alarm went of from one of his devices shattering the peace that was occupied moments before.

The device was a full length mirror located to the side of his office similar to a foe glass. This device known as the Viewing Mirror looks like a regular mirror but it does not reflect the scene in front of it. Instead, it shows the person viewing it an event that is playing out in real life and in real time as long as it is tied to the mirror. It also lets the person hear and see what is going on as if the person was right there as well. It takes a lot of magical power to power it so only the strongest of wizards could use it. Dumbledore added the charm at Godric's Hollow to let him see what was going on in the area since two of his Order members resided there.

Startled from the noise he looked at the mirror and recognized the alarm coming from the location of Godric's Hollow. Standing up and walking over to the mirror he tapped his wand onto the top right corner of the mirror in a specific sequence and turned off the alarm. Another tap of his wand this time on the top left corner of the mirror showed Dumbledore an image.

He saw in front of him two figures walking towards the Potter house. Closer inspection of the wizards show them to be Peter Pettigrew also known to a select few nicknamed "Wormtail" for his animagus form of a rat and the self stylized dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort aka Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Pettigrew has eyes that are small and watery. His hair is thin, colorless, and unkempt with the beginnings of a bald patch. He has a small build and is not much taller than 5'3. His distinguishing features are a rat-like face and a pointed nose. His voice is squeaky and he has a pasty complexion.

Voldemort looked more snake than human but was no longer the handsome man that Tom Riddle was.

_Right on time. Let's see if the prophecy will come to pass tonight. _Thought Dumbledore.

He watched as Pettigrew told Voldemort the address to the Potter's home and how to get in. He watched as Voldemort blasted the front door of the house and walked in while Wormtail waited outside.

Another tap with his wand changed the image on the mirror to the main foyer of the home where James Potter stood. Dumbledore saw Voldemort taunt him and saw them duel each other. He watched impassively as the duel ended and watched as James died at Voldemort's hands. He then watched as Voldemort went up the stairs.

_Pity. James was always gifted in transfiguration. I had even hoped at one time to take him on as my apprentice. Alas, we cannot always get what we want. His death could not be avoided. It was for the greater good._ He thought.

Another tap changed the image to a different room. This time it was the bedroom of little Harry Potter.

Albus saw Tom's attempt to persuade Lily to join him. He saw as she defied him to protect her child. He saw as Tom then killed her with the same spell he used on James, the killing curse. Albus would have ordinarily wondered why Tom would have wanted Lily to live when he hated muggles and muggleborns with a passion and Lily was a muggleborn where it not for the information that Severus Snape ex death eater gave to him. Snape wanted Lily to live because he loved her and hated James Potter. He wanted James to die as well as his son so he could "comfort" Lily never mind what she would be feeling at the loss of her family.

_Severus is a fool if he thought Lily would not fight for her child. And his "love" is nothing more than lust for Lily and anger at James for being with her. If she had lived and found out what Severus' actions have cost her he would be as good as dead. _Dumbledore idly mused.

Turning his attention back to the screen, Dumbledore saw Voldemort as he began the Horcrux ritual.

_So that's how he went on his path for immortality. It perfectly explains his change in appearance and how his behavior became even more disturbing as well as becoming much darker than the normal levels of evil. I wonder how many Horcrux's Tom made? The soul can only be split up so many times before it becomes unable to anymore and the person becomes unstable, at least according to Grindlewald's and my own research on Horcrux creations. But the most any person made at one time was 4 Horcrux's and that person became insane. The documents also mentioned that a person creating a Horcrux loses parts of themselves that are essential in humans and they would lose some of their rationale and follow the "flight or fight" response more often.  
_

Tom then casted the killing curse at Harry Potter and Dumbledore believed he was going to die. Then, the most amazing and unheard of events took place. The killing curse, always known as being unblockable by a direct attack rebounded of young Harry's forehead and hit Tom tearing him from his body. He then saw some kind of light right before the room exploded. The backlash of energy destroyed the charms Dumbledore placed and destroyed the feed. The mirror exploded and only his fast reflexes with his wand stopped the shards of the mirror from hitting him.

Dumbledore immediately send his Phoenix Patronus to his gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid with the message telling him to go to Godric's Hollow and go to the Potters. Hagrid was one of the few people who knew the location of the Potter home after reading it on a piece of paper. The Fidelius charm made sure that only the Secret-Keeper could tell the address. For the Potter's it was Peter who they thought was a friend.

While he was waiting for Hagrid's return Dumbledore went back to the mirror and with a wave of his wand repaired the mirror. It was no longer attached to the enchantments and charms placed on Godric's Hollow but he could still review the events that happened pror to the mirror shattering. he waved his wand looking for a particular image. He rewound it to right before the room exploded. He could have sworn he saw some kind of light right behind were Voldemort stood. The light only lasted a second and Dumbledore thought it looked like a person. It was so fast that if he blinked he would have missed it.

_What was that? It was so fast I almost missed it and why did it look like a person? Was it a trick of the light? Did Tom do this or was it something else entirely? _Dumbledore Pondered.

Looking back at the image one more time he concluded that it must have been a trick on his eyes and he was seeing things. Sensing he was getting worked up over this tiny detail he used his Occlumency exercises to calm himself down. He chuckled to himself that he was getting worked up over a trivial detail and it was nothing. Still a part of him could not let it go for some reason. He sat down at his desk relaxing himself.

Before he could relax in his chair Hagrid burst through the doors clutching something in his hands.

"Headmaster, headmaster…"Panted Hagrid trying to catch his breath after he ran full speed from the gates of Hogwarts to the Headmasters office.

"What is it Hagrid? What happened? Dumbledore asked sharply standing up.

"It's-s-s-sss about Lil-l-l-l-ly and Jam-m-m-mm-es sir." As he said this Hagrid started crying uncontrollably.

"What is it Hagrid?" inquired Dumbledore in his grandfatherly persona with a twinkle in his eyes already knowing the answer.

"Th-er-r-re dead sir. DEAD." Yelled Hagrid.

At this pronouncement the twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes died. He truly did not want them to die but it needed to be done for the greater good.

Sighing heavily Dumbledore responded, "I had feared that was the case when I heard the alarm wards go off. I had hoped I was wrong. I'm sorry to see that we have lost two more of our own."

Hagrid only sobbed some more. When Dumbledore felt Hagrid regained enough of his composure he asked about the fate of young Harry. At this Hagrid only wailed louder.

Dumbledore hid his annoyance at the half giant in order as to not lose his grandfatherly image. He waited until he calmed down enough to answer.

"Is young Harry dead as well?" Dumbledore asked softly hoping Hagrid wouldn't go into another crying episode.

"I don't know sir. There was no body I could find but the `ole `ouse was on fire and I only jus` managed to get James and Lily's bodies out of there. I don't know `ow `e could `ave survived the fire. When Sirius came `e was inconsolable. `e kept mutterin "it's my fault" over and over. When `e `eard that we couldn't find `arry `e lost it." Hagrid said.

"What did Sirius do then?" Dumbledore asked in the same soft voice.

"`e gave me his bike and said to tell you what `appened. Said `e `ad no use for the bike anymore. `e said `e `ad to take care of a rat and left. I transported Lily and James' bodies to St. Mungo's morgue center then came straight `ere." Hagrid finished.

"Anything else?"

"No nothing else… `ang on a mo`ent. I just remembered that I found these robes at the base of `arry's crib. I think it might have belonged to the death eaters who attacked them sir." Hagrid said holding out the robes for Dumbledore to take from his hands.

"This is distressing news Hagrid. Let me see the robes."

Dumbledore took the robes from Hagrid knowing that these must have been Riddle's robes. It had the Slytherin crest on it. He flicked his wand a few times muttered a charm for show so as to not arouse suspicion.

"I believe… that these robes belonged to Voldemort himself?" Dumbledore said questioningly ignoring Hagrid's flinch whenever he said his name.

"Sir? What does this mean?"

After a lengthy silence where neither man talked Dumbledore answered measuring every word he said heavily.

"I believe that Voldemort himself went to the Potters and killed Lily and James. I think that he also attempted to kill young Harry as well to end the Potter line but something happened which backfired on Voldemort injuring him gravely. It would explain why he left his robes there."

"Are you saying sir that You-Know-Who is dead?" asked Hagrid hopefully.

"I believe he is only temporarily indisposed as of right now. I believed that he suffered a huge defeat at the hands of the Potters and is unable to cause any damage to anyone as of this time and maybe for a while."

Even though Lily and James just died it was still not enough to dampen the joy at the words of the Headmaster.

"Hagrid. I must alert the ministry of this development and let them know the news. I will also tell them of the unfortunate fate of James and Lily's. I want you to alert the order members of an emergency meeting and tell them to meet me at headquarters."

"At once sir." Hagrid left to do just that while Dumbledore went towards the floo to go to the ministry.

"What happened to you Harry? Are you really dead or somewhere else?" He muttered to himself just as the green fire enveloped him.

_End Flashback_

By the next day the whole wizarding world learned of Voldemort's defeat and celebrated. The Potter family was given the Order of Merlin awards First Class post-mortem. The wizards were already talking about the Potters with reverence and awe. They were known as the Family-Who-Conquered in the Daily Prophet.

Dumbledore attempted to find Harry Potter to be certain if he really died or not and if the prophecy came to pass. The prophecy stated that only a child born at the end of July and whose parents that have defied Voldemort three times could defeat him. There was also the part about Voldemort marking him but Dumbledore didn't know if it was meant as something physical or spiritual.

He spent numerous resources and even attempted to look at the magical registry at Hogwarts that shows all the magical births in Britain, Scotland, and the surrounding areas. The registry also shows the name of all the people who have been deceased as well. Dumbledore could not get the registry open due to the fact once all the names have been added the scroll then magically seals itself and is locked in a drawer. It can only be opened when it is time to send the letters to the children who have been admitted at that time. All the other paths have lead to a dead end as well.

Eventually Dumbledore exhausted all of his resources and gave up his search of Harry Potter. He believed that since he could not find him and all other avenues have turned out to be useless then he had no choice but to conclude that Harry Potter died that night at Godric's Hollow and is not the chosen one.

He then turned to the only other person viable that fit the contents of the prophecy which was Neville Longbottom. Shortly after the defeat of Voldemort, Frank and Alice Longbottom were tortured into insanity by a group of death eaters trying to find their master. Luckily Neville survived but his parents who were gifted Auror's were tortured into insanity. A young, foolish Obliviator named Gilderoy Lockhart thought it was best to erase the event from Neville's mind and cast the spell at him. Instead the spell affected Neville's brain and the spell affected certain areas of his brain which caused him to be a bumbling and forgetful boy.

Although he had not been marked by Lord Voldemort, Dumbledore believed that it would only be a matter of time. He believed that Neville would be their best chance of defeating Voldemort since there was no one else. It took Dumbledore sometime to undo the damage that was done to Neville and just recently started to train Neville after talking with his grandmother Augusta.

Besides looking for Harry Potter, Dumbledore as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot had to preside over numerous death eater cases making sure that Severus Snape was not among them and to protect his identity from the other death eaters who would try and turn him in to reduce their own sentence.

He also had to free Sirius Black from Azkaban after he heard Barty Crouch Sr. put him there without a trial. Black served no purpose to him locked up in Azkaban. If Harry was still alive then he would have left Sirius there otherwise Black would have taken custody of Harry as his godfather which was his right. Since Harry was nowhere to be found there was no point in leaving him there.

Sirius as the last of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black had access to a fortune. Even if he could no longer claim lordship to the Black family name he can still access the family money and properties under the Black name. The Black family also had a lot of influence in the wizengamot.

Dumbledore also attempted to access the Potter family fortune as well since it holds a fair amount of money as well but the Goblins at Gringotts would not let him. They said that until a proper heir can come and claim access to the vault no one else is allowed to get it. Many pureblood families attempted to access the inheritance but were turned away. Families like Malfoy, Goyle, Crabbe, Grengrass, Zabini, Diggory, Chang, and even the Weasley's tried to gain access but they were all denied. The Goblin's said that there was a person who was next in line for the fortune and they would keep the fortune safe until the heir came and claimed the vaults.

A knock at the door brought Dumbledore from his musings.

"Come in." He said.

The person who entered the room was his Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, Professor of Transfiguration. Minerva McGonagall is a tall, rather severe-looking woman. She wore emerald green robes; a pointed hat cocked to one side, and always had a very prim expression on her face.

"Albus. I wanted to drop of the budget reports for the month that are due tomorrow. I have finished them all and they need only your signature and seal of approval." Said Minerva walking to his desk and dropping off the paperwork.

"Of course." He replied. He took out a quill dipped it into the ink pot and signed his name.

"There you go." He handed back the papers with a flourish.

"Thank you Albus."

McGonagall hesitated for a minute before she voiced a question she wanted to ask all night.

"Are you all right? You seemed distracted tonight."

"I'm fine. Just thinking about what happened on this night nine years ago." Dumbledore answered.

"I know what you mean. Sometimes I can't believe that Lily and James are gone. Little Harry as well. He would have attended Hogwarts next year if he was still alive." She said.

"Sometimes I wonder if I could have done anything different. Anything that would have changed the outcome. If I had not made the choices that I made would they still be here?"

"Albus?" asked Minerva concerned for her friend.

"Hmm. Oh, it's nothing. Just the ramblings of an old man. You should get to bed. Have a full day tomorrow." He replied waving of her concerns.

Hesitating she got up and walked to the door but she left one last parting remark before she left.

"It's not your fault that they died. You did what you had to and know that I am behind you all the way. Good night."

She closed the door behind her leaving Dumbledore to his silence.

"Would you still be behind me if you know what I did or will do to insure we win? I wonder." Dumbledore spoke to the empty room before going back to his work.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Here's the next chapter. We got Dumbledore meeting Harry and finding out a bit about Harry's past. Have fun and enjoy the read. Constructive criticism always approve. Destructive criticism is not approved.

Chapter 5

_July 30__th__ 1991_

"THERE HE IS."

"GET BACK HERE FREAK."

"WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU YOUR GONNA WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN ASSHOLE."

_Same old threats day in, day out. It does get boring after a while .It's such a nice day to. _Mused a young black haired green eyed boy right before he was surrounded by a group of five boys ranged from 12- 14.

_Looks like I'm surrounded. Again. _Thought the boy casually as if this kind of stuff happens to him everyday.

He was in an alley between two buildings. There was a garbage can on one side, a trash compactor farther down, and some street cats who was rummaging for some food.

"You know what today is don't ya Potter?" Sneered one of the boys. He was the largest of the group which automatically made him the leader. He was also the stupidest as well but telling him that to his face would only get you a one way pass to a world of pain.

His name was Stephen.

"It's Tuesday. Didn't you know?" retorted Potter sarcastically.

"NO… I mean yes. I mean….I KNOW WHAT DAY IT IS YOU RETARD!" replied the flummoxed teenager.

"Then why are you asking me the day if you already knew?" Potter innocently asked.

"I'm gonna beat you into the ground so bad for what you did yesterday that even your grandkids are gonna feel it. I know it was you who did it. When I'm through with you there won't be enough of you to fit into a paper bag." Stephen said menacingly. The other four boys just laughed as if he just said the funniest thing in the world.

"Hey it's not my fault I opened the door just as you were in the middle of….entertaining yourself with a girl. I heard some weird noises coming from your room and wondered if you were in pain. Though I do wonder why the girl asked if your dick is in yet? I mean you were practically right on top of her." Potter shot back smirking. Seeing him get worked up he continued to taunt him.

"Or is the reason why you're angry the fact that the whole building heard your _conversation _over the building's P.A system? It's a sad day when a person deliberately records another person's conversation and then plays said conversation for everyone to hear. Or was it the fact that everyone was laughing at you. I would certainly be embarrassed if something like that happened to me." Potter sighed in mock sadness.

As Potter spoke Stephen's face was turning an alarming shade of red either from anger or embarrassment. _Most likely from both_ Harry mused.

"THAT'S IT. GET HIM." Stephen yelled.

Harry just waited patiently for them to come. If he were an ordinary boy then he would be terrified of the gang surrounding him but Harry knew he's not ordinary. Ever since he was young strange things happened around Harry that he couldn't explain. He didn't know why strange things occurred around him just that they did.

He didn't even realize that he was the cause of all those occurrences until he found himself on the roof of the school after being chased by some of the kids in the school who made fun of the kids from the orphanage because they had no parents. After realizing that he did something that made him come on to the roof he started experimenting.

Harry tried to teleport again but found that he couldn't. He remembered when he was nine how he wanted to get some cookies from the kitchen but he couldn't reach the jar on top of the refrigerator.. He was really mad and wanted it so much that the cookie jar flew towards him. He ducked and the jar crashed into the wall breaking it. He also remembered how much trouble he was in afterwards as well. He realized that he _really _wanted that cookie so he got it. He had to truly want something in order to let his gift work and practiced as much as he can. He was eight years old at the time.

After that he could do things he thought weren't possible before. They were nothing on a big scale but little things. He could summon objects to himself if they were near him; he could lift objects of the floor as well. Recently, he found that he could read the minds of other people as well. He had to be looking at them in the eye to get a clear read into their minds but he could also hear thoughts without looking directly in their eyes but he had to be within five feet of them. It also took a lot out of him if he did use that method. Not useful in most situations but in a fist fight it's a good skill to have to avoid some unwanted pain. He still couldn't teleport though which _really_ pissed him off.

Harry stretched out his senses to the maximum. His body was alert and ready for action. He knew he couldn't beat them directly but having been in similar situations before he knew what worked well enough for him. All of his muscles were tensed in preparation. He looked left and right to see who would attack first.

_{There!}_

Two of the boys rushed him from the sides and went to grab him but before they could reach him Harry was already in motion. Harry timed it perfectly so that the second he jumped back the two boys crashed into each other and fell to the floor knocked out. To the other gang members it was like one second he was there and the next second he was not. It took him months and many beatings for him to even achieve that much.

The second Harry jumped backwards his elbow was already in motion aimed at the person behind him. With the momentum of the jump propelling him Harry hit the boy behind him in the gut. It was only a jab but it caused the boy to instinctively grab his stomach in pain. Before he could react Harry was already making another move. As soon as his elbow hit he spun around and used the speed of the spin to add some power to his leg. Harry used the added power in his knee and hit the boy in the groin causing the boy to immediately move his hands from his gut to his groin while falling to the floor.

In less than a minute Harry took out the three boys. The remaining two watched dumfounded that a little ten year old boy took out three of their own so fast.

Harry turned and faced the remaining two.

"Who's next?" Harry said arrogantly.

Both the boys looked at each other and with a nod of their heads they rushed at Harry. Harry seeing both boys run towards him waited for them to get closer.

Stephen slowed down just enough to let the other boy get in front of him and watched him go after Harry. He locked his eyes with Harry which allowed him to read his mind.

_{I'm going to feint a right and hit him with a left hook.}_

That was the thought going through the boy's mind as how to approach Harry. He thought that one solid punch to the face would be enough. He feinted right and immediately went with a left hook but Harry who saw the plan in the boy's mind ignored the feint and ducked underneath the left hook. While ducking, he raised his hand and summoned a cat who was on the trash can to the left side of the boy. The startled cat flew through the air and landed on the boy's head. The cat started scratching the boy's face and digging its nails so that he wouldn't fall terrified. The boy was flailing his arms trying to get the cat off him. He spun around and smacked the back of his head into the wall knocking him out. The cat jumped off the boy and scampered down the street.

The boy named Stephen stood there shaking in his boots. Harry seeing this took a step towards Stephen but he backed up a few steps.

"H-o-o—wwwww d-d-d-d-i-i-d-d-d-d y-y-ouuuuuu do th-a-a-at?" Stephen stuttered out.

"With magic." Harry said smoothly.

"Now I'm going to turn you into a frog with my powers. _**Mwahahahaha!**_" Harry cackled evily.

He took another step towards Stephen when a putrid smell assaulted his nose. It seemed that Stephen was so terrified his bowels emptied themselves in his pants. Before Harry could do anything Stephen hightailed it out of the alley as fast as his shit filled pants allowed him to. Harry seeing him flee let out a breath of relief.

_Thank god he ran. I don't think I would have been able to stop him. Oh well his loss. I'm getting better at bullshitting people. Maybe I should be an actor? Anyway let's see what we got here._

Harry rummaged through the pockets of the remaining boys. He took the cash from their wallets and threw the wallets away.

_Hmmm. _£ 25. _Not bad. Better save it for when I really need it. Better head back to the orphanage, it's getting late and I don't need another reason to get in trouble with the old bat especially since I sneaked out to begin with._

With that last thought in mind Harry headed back to St. Mary's orphanage located at the East End of London, one of the poorest areas in London. He stayed close to the walls and used the various back alleys and shortcuts to get back. It wouldn't due for him to get jumped by some random mugger after all the trouble he went through. Unknown to Harry, his magic responded to his intent and cast a notice-me-not charm on himself making him invisible to the eyes of others. Harry managed to sneak back to the orphanage and into his room without any further problems. He took the money he "appropriated" from Stephen's gang and placed it in his hiding spot inside the bible. He changed into his secondhand pajamas and went to bed.

Before he went to sleep his last thought was that he hoped tomorrow would be a peaceful day but Harry didn't know that tonight would be the last time he would have a peaceful day.

_

* * *

July 31__st__ 1991_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Deputy Headmistress' Office_

Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor house, Professor of Transfiguration at Hogwarts had many responsibilities. It was her job to teach her class to the best of her abilities, provide counsel to the students of her house, perform various administrative duties, and a host of other responsibilities. One of those other responsibilities was to fetch and introduce students who come from non-magical backgrounds to Hogwarts. Non- magical people more commonly called muggles are told of the wizarding world if they have a child who display's a talent for magic. The magical child would then be informed on their eleventh birthday about the magical world and how it pertains to them. The witch or wizard who comes from a non magical family is called a muggleborn or for a more offensive term "mudblood" from certain pure-blood families.

_**Muggle-born**_ is the term applied to wizards and witches who come from Muggle parents. A Muggle-born would have a magical ancestor in their genealogy, possibly numerous generations back that allows them the ability to use magic. Pure-blood supremacists refer to Muggle-borns with the offensive derogatory term _**Mudblood**_, a term similar to racial and ethnic slurs found in the non-magical world.

_**Pure-bloods **_is the term applied to witches and wizards whose whole family comes from a line of magic users. Some families believe they are better than others especially to first generation wizards and so degrade who they feel are "inferior" to them due to their supposedly _tainted_ "blood."

Sitting at her desk Minerva was looking over the list of new first year students who would be coming to Hogwarts and seeing which students would need an introduction to the magical world.

_Let's see what we've got here. _

_Susan Bones. Niece of Amelia Bones, Head of Magical Law Enforcement. Parents murdered by death eaters. Fair and trustworthy wizards respected in the community._

_Hermione Granger, muggle-born. Should have attended Hogwarts last year but due to her birthday being after term starts had to wait a whole year._

_Draco Malfoy, a member of the house of Malfoy, a pureblood family and most likely as arrogant and bigoted as his father._

_Padma and Parvati Patil, twin daughters of Indian Ambassador Parikshit Patil sent to improve relations between India and Britian. Pure-blood wizards known for open mindness with other non pureblood witches and wizards._

_Harry Potter, son of Lily and JamessssssssssssSSSSSSSS._

Minerva McGonagall was not a woman who could be easily surprised. It took something of enormous proportion that would render her shocked. She had lived through two wars, fought numerous battles, survived the chaos that was the Marauders, but none of those circumstances even came close to the feeling she had now.

_It's impossible. He can't be alive. The whole house was burned down. It can't be him. I have to see Albus. He'll know what's going on._

The normally unflappable Professor McGonagall literally bolted from her chair clutching the list in her hand and ran as fast as she could to Dumbledore's office. If there were students in the hallway they would have seen the unusual sight of a flustered professor running through the halls with no sense to propriety.

She reached Dumbledore's office on the second floor and the gargoyle that guards the entrance let her come in. She stepped on the rotating stairs to take her up and while going up used her wand to restore her appearance back to her level of decency.

Without knocking on the door she barged into his office and strode up to the desk to Dumbledore's shock and placed a sheet of parchment on his desk.

"Is there anything I can do for you today Minerva?" said the Headmaster jovially with his ever present twinkle in his eyes.

"This is the parchment for all new incoming students that are due to start Hogwarts this fall. Take a look at the name under the Patils." Minerva replied sternly.

Dumbledore decided to humor Minerva and looked at the list. The minute he saw the name _Harry Potter _written on it the humor vanished from his eyes. Thinking his eyes must be playing tricks on him he looked again but his name was still there.

"How is this possible Albus? He can't be alive. He was legally declared dead by the ministry." McGonagall exclaimed seeing Albus' shock.

"We both know that the registry puts the names of all the magical children in the surrounding areas. It also show's the names of all the deceased children before the reached eleven with a line through it and as we can clearly see Harry's name does not have a line through it." Dumbledore explained quite confused.

"Also remember we never found young Harry's body Minerva. It could be quite possible that we missed something." He finished.

_Still, how is it possible he is alive? Could it have been the prophecy at work? 'The power he knows not.' _

"Minerva, do you have his letter? We can go to the address listed and see if it is really him."

"Yes that is a good plan. Now where is that letter?" Rummaging through the letters it took her a minute to find it. "Aha, it's right here. It says St. Mary's orphanage located at the East End of London. Albus that's one of the poorest areas in all of London." Minerva said worried that if it is really Harry Potter then he grew up in one of the worst neighborhoods of London.

"I'm sure young Harry will be fine. I think I should go personally and see if it is really him." Dumbledore said kindly standing up.

"Are you sure you should go by yourself Albus?" Minerva asked worried.

"I know I haven't fetched a new student in quite a while but I think I know how to deal with them. I might be a little rusty but I'm sure it'll come back to me. Like riding a broomstick."Albus replied chuckling.

"Of course. My apologies Albus. Please alert me of your return and what you find." Minerva bantered back in her usual Scottish brogue.

"Quite alright my dear. I'll see you as soon as I get back." Dumbledore answered back walking to his fireplace making sure to grab the letter before he left. He threw some floo powder in, stepped in and shouting "Leaky Cauldron" and disappearing in a flame of green fire.

"Good luck Albus." Said Minerva to herself before leaving the empty room.

_

* * *

St. Mary's Orphanage _

Albus Dumbledore walked down the bustling London street ignoring the looks he was receiving from the various muggles he passed by. He was wearing a light purple suit that looked like it came from the early fifties. He turned a corner and walked towards an old fashioned building that had seen better days. He walked past the open iron gates in the front and up the lane. He reached the door and knocked once loudly. After waiting a minute a young man who looked about nineteen opened the door.

"Good afternoon. My name is Albus Dumbledore and I am the Headmaster of a prestigious boarding school. May I come in and speak with the person in charge?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly using a mild compulsion charm on the person.

"Sure." the young man stepped aside to let him come in the compulsion charm taking effect.

"Let me show you to her office." With that he led Dumbledore down the hallway tiled in black and white. It was a little run down but clean. He knocked once at the door and entered.

Sitting behind the desk on a phone was a skinny middle aged woman. Her features were sharp and stern. She waved him in and gestured for them to sit while she continued talking on the phone. After a few more words were exchanged she hung up.

She told the young man he could leave the room and left the two people alone. The room was an office. The furniture was old but still usable. There were some file cabinets and a couple of photos of herslef with a few others in it presumably family and friends.

"My name is Alice Ashford and I run the orphanage here. How can I help you Mister…." The woman named Alice trailed of purposely.

"Dumbledore. Albus Dumbledore. I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts. A prestigious boarding school located in Scotland. I was wondering if I could ask you some questions about a ward in your care by the name of Harry Potter."

"Potter, Potter. Let me see." She got up and walked over to a file cabinet. She opened it up and thumbed through it for a few moments before pulling out a file.

Potter, Harry James was the name on the side. She opened it up and skimmed through the information for a few moments.

"Ah yes. I remember now. Came in here about three years ago. No family to speak of and nobody ever claimed him. Polite but quiet boy. Keeps to himself mostly. Why do you want know?" Mrs. Ashford inquired.

"I knew his parents before they died. I had thought that young Harry had perished along with them. It seems that rumors of his demise were false which I am grateful for. When I had found out he was alive I had to make sure that he was okay and also to offer him a place at my school." Dumbledore answered.

"Are you sure it's the same boy you're looking for?"

"I'm not sure but I believe that he is. If I could see him then I would be able to make a positive identification."

"How did you find him if you thought he was dead?"

"Well…" Dumbledore trailed off not quite sure how to answer that. It's not like he could say that the magical registry told him Harry's address and he came all the way from Scotland only an hour ago.

Before he could answer Mrs. Ashford started firing off many questions that would have caused problems for Dumbledore. Like how he was able to find him now and not before, where he was all this time, what he intended to do now that he found him, will he be adopting Harry. She also asked Dumbledore to show some identification that proved he was who he said he was and information about the school.

"Of course madam. How remiss of me to forget to show you. I have it all right here in my pocket." He slipped the wand out of his pocket while grabbing a piece of paper from her desk at the same time. Before Mrs. Ashford could say anything Dumbledore waved his wand once and passed her the piece of paper.

"It seems everything is in order. Forgive me for doubting your claims." She answered meekly after seeing the proof.

"No problem at all. As a headmaster who is entrusted with the safety of the children under my charge I understand your caution. A friend of mine was always fond of using the phrase 'constant vigilance.'" Said Dumbledore gently with a twinkle in his eye.

"Now can you tell me how young Harry got to be in your care?" Dumbledore asked.

"Let me see here in the file." Looking at the papers for a minute she answered that he was brought here three years ago from an orphanage located in Surrey after it closed down due to the former manager being arrested for embezzlement.

"He was brought to the Surrey orphanage on November 1, 1981. The only thing that the person who dropped him off said was his name and that was it." She read.

"Can you tell me the name of the person who dropped him off?" Dumbledore inquired.

"It's against policy to give out this information without proper documents." Another wave of Dumbledore's wand banished that obstacle.

"Yes let me see. It says a man by the name of Vernon Dursley dropped him off. " She answered.

"Dursley…? Why does that name seem familiar?" Dumbledore mumbled to himself. After thinking for a second he remembered that Dursley was the husband of Lily's sister Petunia. He remembered Lily's rant about how much of a prejudiced, bigoted bastard he was according to Minerva. Which begs the question how did Harry end up at the Dursley's of all places? He would have to have a talk with them later.

"Is there anything else Mr. Dursley did?" Dumbledore questioned.

"Yes. He said that he didn't want the child to be placed with his family ever and to never contact him regarding the child again. Strange. Wonder why he would think that?" Mrs. Ashford mused before shrugging it off. After all she's seen other people do and say worse.

"I see." _If he is who I think he is then this might complicate things a bit._

"Was there any marks on Mr. Potter when he was brought in?"Asked Dumbledore wondering if the attack by Voldemort left any signs on Harry.

"Now that you mention it yeah he does have a scar. It's a peculiar shaped scar. It looks like a lightning bolt. It's on his forehead. The doctor who examined him said it would stay with him for the rest of his life." She looked at Dumbledore and asked, "Why did you want to know?"

"Just in case any medical problems we were unaware of occurred." Was his reply while he was thinking _could it be Voldemort marking Harry?_

"I was wondering if you could tell me anything about Harry Potter's history here? So I can better relate to him and help him in any way possible." Dumbledore said earnestly.

"I don't know too much about the boy due to how understaffed I am. What I can tell you is that he is a quiet yet polite boy. Doesn't try to call attention to himself. He's also a little…odd."

"Odd how?"

Here Mrs. Ashford hesitated unsure as how to answer. "No matter what I say he'll definitely have a place at your school?"

"If he is who I think he is then yes he will have a place at my school regardless of anything you reveal to me today." Dumbledore assured her.

Finally she answered, "Strange things happen around him. There have been incidents…."

Dumbledore did not press just waited for her to continue.

"Jack Reynolds tried to steal Harry's toy dog one time but the second he grabbed it the dog bit Jack. The dog was alive and I don't know how it got there. He says that Harry did it but he was out his reach at the time. Jack says the dog was a toy before Harry did something but I don't see how that's possible. Also he turned a girl named Eliza's whole body neon green. The day before they were arguing about something and the next day her body changed colors. It took a few hours before the color finally faded. She thought he put something in her shampoo and soap but that's impossible since he was with a counselor all day." She finished off.

Both of them sat in silence for the next few minutes. One letting the other absorb all the information he has just received and the other letting his mind at work.

"Thank you for the information and for indulging my curiosity. I wonder if I can see Mr. Potter now?" Dumbledore asked breaking the silence.

"Yes of course. Follow me." Mrs. Ashford led him out of her office and up the steps calling out instructions and reprimands along the way. The orphans looked out there rooms when they saw Mrs. Ashford walk by with the strange man. They were dressed in second hand clothing and looked well taken care of but you could see that it was a depressing place to grow up.

"Here you go." She knocked on the door and entered the room.

"Harry? You have a visitor. He would like to talk with you for a few minutes." She said before letting Dumbledore enter the room.

"This is Mr. Dumbledore and he'll explain why he wants to talk to you." To Dumbledore she said, "I'll just leave you to it." She finished and left the room.

She closed the door behind her leaving the two alone. The room was Spartan with only a bed on the side, a small dresser, and a couple of books. There was one window and it was open.

Dumbledore looked at the boy sitting on the bed eying him, scrutinizing him as if he was measuring him up.

Harry Potter, for there was no doubt in his mind now that this boy was indeed the son of James and Lily Potter and he was alive.

He was a handsome boy of eleven, looking almost exactly like his father but without the glasses. Same messy black hair, same build, almost the same height at that age but he had his mother's green eyes and nose. There was also a faded lightning bolt scar on his forehead. Dumbledore was amazed that the boy did not look the worse for wear. His clothes, while obviously secondhand, was in good condition, as was his room though the room had barely anything in it to begin with. No, Harry did not look as if he was suffering of being raised in an orphanage. Tom Riddle didn't look like he suffered either but then again Tom was a bully and thrived on it. Harry's face seemed to be look exactly as the same emotionless mask that Riddle had when Dumbledore introduced him to the wizarding world the first time.

While looking into each others eyes Dumbledore was about to send a probe just to skin his surface thoughts and get a read on the Potter heir before he felt a probe enter his mind before his occlumency shields slammed down. Bringing down his shields startled Harry and broke the connection between the two.

Dumbledore was shocked. A student being able to read the minds of others and not even formally trained in the mind arts spoke of great power and mental discipline.

_How was he able to enter my mind? He should not be able to do that?_ Were the incredulous thoughts going through his mind while his outward reaction did not change behind his mind thoughts and half-formed plans began to take shape.

"Good afternoon Harry. My name is Albus Dumbledore. I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts, a school for gifted people such as yourself." Dumbledore said standing.

"Hogwarts? Never heard of it. Sorry. Besides I think you got the wrong boy. I'm just an orphan with no special gift." Said Harry neutrally.

"I assure you I have not. I am here to offer you a place at Hogwarts."

"Yeah well what if I don't want to go? Huh? You can't make me if I don't want to." Sneered Harry.

"I don't want to force you to do anything you are uncomfortable with but if you could hear me out." Continued Dumbledore patiently.

Harry jumped from his bed and backed against the wall. He looked at Dumbledore furious.

"You can't fool me. Your hear to send me to juvie. Professor, _of course_----well you can't make me. I didn't do anything."

"I'm not from juvie. I am the Headmaster of a prestigious school for people such as yourself."

"Yeah? A school for people like me? You mean for people who get in trouble. I'm not a troublemaker. Trouble likes me not the other way around so you can just take your offer and shove it up your wrinkly ass _Headmaster._ Also----"

"Hogwarts is a school for people who can do magic." Dumbledore cut in.

There was a profound silence after that. Neither person making a move after Dumbledore's last statement. Harry didn't know if he should believe him or not.

"Magic?" Harry asked skeptically.

"Correct." Said Dumbledore.

"A school for magic?"

"Yes. Your parents went there."

"My parents?" asked Harry eager to hear about the two people who he has never heard anything about.

"Yes your parents. Lily and James Potter. Two of the finest people ever to grace the halls of Hogwarts." Reminisced Dumbledore.

"What happened to them? My parents." Harry said curious.

Dumbledore heaved a great sigh looking his age.

"They died soon after you were born. We all thought that you had died as well until today when your name was spotted on the registry." Explained Dumbledore. Harry was saddened to hear the news and could tell the old man did not want to talk about it.

"Can...can you do magic?" Asked Harry changing the subject.

"Yes I can."

"Show me please." Harry added at the end as to not appear rude.

Dumbledore drew his wand from his pocket and pointed it at the floor and casually flicked it. Instantly a comfortable chintz chair appeared out of air. He pocketed his wand and sat down groaning comfortably.

Harry just watched amazed. He tentatively reached out his hand and touched the chair wondering if it would disappear any second.

"Amazing."Harry breathed out. "And I can learn to do that if I go to your school?"

"Among other things." replied Dumbledore amused.

"I can do some stuff of my own." Harry said abruptly.

"Really? I wonder if you could satisfy an old man's curiosity? Can you show me what it is that you can do?" Dumbledore inquired.

"Sure," Harry said. He turned to the dresser and with a wave of his hand the book that rested upon it flew to him.

Blue eyes widened slightly. "Impressive," he murmured.

Dumbledore's amused expression turned serious here.

"You must not tell others of your ability to do magic. If you do you will be expelled from Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic—yes we have our own ministry—will punish you to the full extent of the law. If you wish to enter our world you must abide by the rules. Understood?"

"I understand." Said Harry neutrally.

"Good." Replied Dumbledore the amused look in his eyes. He reached into his pocket and withdrew an envelope.

"This is your Hogwarts letter. Inside it you will find your letter of acceptance, your ticket for the train that will take you to Hogwarts, and list of supplies you need."

"And where can a person get all these supplies?"

"Diagon Alley. It is the main shopping area of wizard's."

"I don't have any money to buy this sir." Said Harry weakly feeling depressed that he wouldn't learn magic.

"Your parents have left you a vault full of money. It is located at the wizarding bank Gringotts." Retorted Dumbledore.

"Will we be going today?" asked Harry.

Dumbledore took out his pocket watch which did not look like any watch Harry has seen before. It has twelve hands. Instead of having numbers, little planets move along the edge of the face.

"I'm sorry Harry but we do not have enough time today. I will send a member of my staff to help you get all your supplies. They will be here in a couple of days. Is that satisfactory to you?" Inquired Dumbledore.

"Yes. Thank you sir." Said Harry gratefully.

"It's no problem my boy. I will see you on the first of September. Remember to take the train from Kings Cross on that day. Take care Harry." Dumbledore got up and with a wave of his wand vanished the chair he was sitting on. Blue eyes locked onto green eyes as both measured each other. For a moment it reminded Dumbledore of another dark-haired wizard he met in a similar situation. He blinked and the image was gone. He looked at Harry once more then walked through the door and left.

_Magic, huh? Sounds like fun though. _

The last thought running through his mind before he went down for dinner was wondering why he couldn't read his mind and what the next day would bring.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: This is my longest chapter yet. Hope you like it. Also to answer some questions the reason why the ministry or any other close relative was unable to take the Potter fortune was that while the ministry did declare Harry dead the magic of the vaults had an enchantment that recognized that there was an heir alive to the fortune so it didn't give it to anyone else.

Harry's upbringing is similar to Voldemort but also at the same time a little different to show how little choices can change a lot of things. Voldemort as soon as he learned was a wizard went by himself to Diagon Alley. Harry on the other hand asked Dumbledore if he was accompanying him. It's just one thing to show that where one knew to ask for help while the other didn't want any help. Also I want show how Dumbledore would treat a Harry that wasn't molded by him and more like Tom. Would he learn from past mistakes or would he be too proud to admit his failings even to himself and do nothing?

I also set up a poll that you can access on my profile page. I asked the question of which house you think Harry should be in based on what you've read so far. SO VOTE. PRETTY PLEASE?

Chapter 6

_St. Mary's Orphanage_

_August 3__rd__ 1991_

Minerva McGonagall walked down the street that would take her to St. Mary's orphanage where Harry Potter lived. She opened the gate and walked through closing the gate behind her. She walked up the steps to the door and knocked twice. The door opened right after the second knock and a young man was standing there. It was the same person who opened the door for Dumbledore three days ago.

"Hello. How may I help you?" He asked.

"My name is Minerva McGonagall. I am from Hogwarts School for the Gifted. I sent a message earlier saying I would be picking up Mister Potter today and taking him shopping for his school supplies." Minerva formally answered.

The boy didn't say anything but gestured for her to come inside. He closed the door after she stepped over the threshold and told her to follow him. He led her to a sitting room and told her to wait here while he brings Mister Potter. He left the room closing the door behind him.

She looked around the room noting that a lot of the furniture was worn but usable. A few paintings were hanged on the wall and there was a bookshelf filled with books on the side.

_For being located in one of London's worst areas it is surprisingly well-kept. _

Finishing her cursory inspection of the room she sat down on one of the chairs and waited. She smoothed out her outfit making sure it was clean. Minerva wore a dark green pant suit. Her hair was done in her usual bun and no hair was out of place. She wanted to look her best since she was seeing James and Lily's only child. But at the same time make sure she looked every bit the professional that she was. She admitted to herself that she liked the way the suit fit her but would rather wear her robes.

_It's a good thing I managed to __**persuade **__Albus to send me to get Harry. Honestly, wanting to send in Hagrid. I have nothing but good feelings for the man but he is just not equipped to handle situations such as this. His appearance alone would no doubt shock and maybe scare him. Also that man cannot keep a secret to himself no matter what. Of course if Hagrid didn't scare him then sending Severus as his second choice would have caused even more problems. As soon as he heard that James Potter's son was alive he started going off about him being just like his father once the shock wore off. I mean he wasn't even raised by him so how could he be exactly like him? If Albus would have gotten his way he might have unintentionally scared off Mister Potter._

Ridding herself of these thoughts she wondered what he would be like. Would he be a prankster like his father or a studious student like his mother? She hoped he would be more like Lily. Studious and a follower of the rules. She shuddered at the thought of having to deal with another prankster on top of the Weasley twins. Or even worse having them combine forces. She paled even more at the thought.

She wondered what was taking them so long to get here. _Surely it doesn't take that long to bring him here._ Scarcely had the thought passed her mind when the door to the sitting room opened and three people walked in. One was the boy who opened the door, another was a skinny middle aged woman with stern features, and the third was undoubtedly Harry Potter dressed in second hand clothing.

Minerva had to stifle a gasp at the sight of him. The last time she saw him was on his first birthday. She remembered the adorable little smile he had on his face and how his laugh brought joy to everyone in his room. Then he was an adorable little tyke with a smile that would have melted even the coldest of hearts and those wide innocent eyes that made him irresistible among the female members of the Order.

Now he was an eleven year old boy with his father's good looks and his uncontrollable hair. Though to be fair to him it seems to be more in control than James possibly due to the fact that his hair is longer than James. His eyes were still that brilliant shade of green and if anything seemed to be even more mesmerizing than before. It was like looking at James Potter reincarnated but with Lily's eyes minus the glasses.

_In a few years the girls will be all over him if they already won't be. _She thought wryly to herself.

The other woman in the room took her cue and introduced herself.

"Good morning. I am Alice Ashford the caretaker of St. Mary's orphanage." The woman named Alice introduced herself.

"It is nice to meet you. My name is Minerva McGonagall and I am the deputy headmistress of Hogwarts. I believe you met the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, a few days ago." Minerva said.

"I remember."

"I am here on his behalf to take Mister Potter shopping for his school supplies."

"He did say that he would be sending a member of his staff to help Mister Potter with his shopping." She replied.

"The shopping will most likely take the whole day so don't expect him to be back before dinner."

"Very well. I was also told that Mister Potter's parents have left him some money so he can pay for his tuition and school supplies since we do not have the funds to pay for it."

Yes they did. You did not have to worry about the cost. If that is all we really must be going now." Minerva finished.

"Of course. My apologies for the delay. I just had to ask these questions as the legal guardian for Mister Potter. For his sake as well as our own. I will leave him in your care."

"I understand." Minerva said with a nod of her head.

Mrs. Ashford turned her head towards Harry and gave him a stern look that was missed by Minerva. Bending down a little she hissed in his ear threateningly, "Listen to her and don't you dare cause her any problems. She does not need to deal with your troublemaking ways cause if you do there will be hell to pay when you get back."

Standing up she looked down at Harry one more time who didn't seem to be bothered by her tone before gesturing to the young man standing at the door to exit the room with her leaving only Harry and Minerva.

Looking at Harry Minerva gave him a small smile.

"Good day Mister Potter. As you have already heard my name is Minerva McGonagall. You may call me Professor McGonagall since I will be one of the teachers at Hogwarts. We have a lot of work to do today so we should get going." Minerva said in a no nonsense kind of voice.

She left the room and walked outside being followed by Harry. They walked out of the orphanage and made their way down the street. She made a turn into an alley that had a dead end. She looked around her to make sure nobody was looking. She looked to the side a picked up a discarded beer can. She pulled out her wand and tapped the beer can saying the phrase _**Portus**_.

"Now Mister Potter we are going to travel to our location using a device called a portkey. Please…" McGonagall was about to continue when Harry interrupted.

"What's a portkey?" Harry asked curious.

"A _**portkey**_ is a common item used to transport anyone touching it to another pre-determined location. Typically portkeys will activate at a specific time, but it is also possible to create an on-contact Portkey that activates immediately when touched, or an on-command Portkey that activates on demand. We are using an on-command Portkey that activates on demand." McGonagall lectured.

"So basically what your saying is that you can turn any item into a device that allows for instant transportation depending on when you want to activate it and you use the phrase _**Portus **_to create it?"Harry inquired.

"Yes that's about right." McGonagall said pleased that he got it so quickly considering he didn't even know magic existed a week ago.

"How do you create a portkey?" Harry asked thinking about the many different possibilities and scenarios he could use them.

"Even if I told you how to create one you would be unable to do it for many years. You would need a firm understanding in enchanting, runes, charms, and apparition to understand it."

"I see." said Harry disappointed on the outside but mentally making notes to get books on the subjects mentioned to understand it. If it's one thing he hates its being told that he can't do something.

"Please touch the can. Only a finger will suffice." Professor McGonagall said holding out the can in her hand.

"Why only a finger?" asked Harry even as he did just that.

"It doesn't have to be only a finger. As long as some part of your body is touching the portkey it will still work. A word of advice make sure it's a body part and not a piece of cloth touching it otherwise you would most likely be thrown off the portkey mid travel and can get seriously hurt."

"Really?"

"Yes. A portkey travels at high speeds in a circular motion and there is a charm placed on the device that makes sure whatever is touching it does not fall of mid flight. A body part will not be cut off during portkey travel but a piece of cloth would not be able to take the strain and would rip off. Do you have any more questions?"

"None at the moment Professor."

"Very well. Activate." Said McGonagall and the two of them disappeared.

_

* * *

The Leaky Cauldron_

The portkey dropped them off into an alley. Professor McGonagall landed on her feet used to the high speed travel mostly due to the abilities given to her by her cat animagus form. Harry on the other hand hit the ground with enough force that made his legs unable to support him which caused him to fall flat on his face unused to such traveling method.

"It does take some getting used to." Minerva chuckled. She always found it a bit amusing watching the less than amused reactions of other people after their first portkey ride.

Grumbling about the various things he would like to do to the person who invented portkey travel Harry picked himself up off the ground.

He mentally took notes about what he learned so far about the portkey travel method.

_**Pro**_

1) it can be a near instantaneous travel method if he had to get somewhere in a hurry.

2) Covers distances in record times.

3) Portkey's can be made from any objects surrounding him.

_**Con**_

1) gives unpleasant feeling of having his body dragged by the stomach on a hook jerking him around.

2) Disorients a person upon landing and causes them to lose balance. (Will have to build tolerance to prevent disorientation)

After memorizing what he learned so far about portkey travel due to his mind being better honed through constant use Harry looked around the area seeing that he is in an alley.

"Where are we?" asked Harry to Professor McGonagall who was looking around her to see if they were spotted by anybody and missed the question asked.

Harry frustrated at the lack of response looked Professor McGonagall in the eye and used his mind reading skill to look in her mind. He looked into her mind through her eyes but he met the same type of barrier that Dumbledore had. The barrier was a lot weaker than Dumbledore's but she still had a shield of sorts in place. Also her mind barrier had an image of a cat prowling back and forth as added protection.

Annoyed and a bit perturbed Harry pulled back from her mind. _ Do all wizards and witched have a type of mental shield in their minds? If they do then this could be troublesome._

Before he could ask the Professor were they were she started to walk out the alley telling him to hurry up and stop dawdling while ignoring his mumbling.

Muttering under his breath about she should have her ears checked he followed her out of the alley. They walked out of the alley onto a bustling London street. He looked at the street sign and it said Charing Cross Road. Harry saw a few buildings that he recognized from school field trips and made a mental note where they were and which direction they were walking in so he could explore later on by himself.

They walked one block from the alley the portkey dropped them off and stopped in from of a dingy looking pub. There was a sign that had the image of a cauldron that looked like it had some sort of liquid spilling out of it. There was a sign above the design that said the name of the place was the Leaky Cauldron.

"Professor, isn't it a little early for a pint? I thought teachers aren't supposed to drink on the job? Besides as an educator you should always set a good example for others especially in the company of an impressionable minor." Drawled Harry unable to stifle a grin at the sight of a flustered Professor blushing in embarrassment from the looks that she received from the muggles who overheard Harry.

Shooting Harry a glare that always caused the Marauders and Weasley twins to be properly cowed she wondered if the school and she herself were truly ready for another Potter at Hogwarts.

Taking a deep breath to calm down a little she said with a flourish, "This Mister Potter is the Leaky Cauldron. It is the gate way into the magical world."

For a moment neither person spoke.

"It looks like a fucking piece of shit." Harry deadpanned.

This was the last straw for Minerva. She was tired of hearing all the rude comments coming out of his mouth since she met him and she let him know.

"Mister Potter. Let me make something clear. At Hogwarts we do not tolerate students to answer in such an appalling matter. I have been lenient with you so far in regards to your choice of words. I do not know if it is a product of your environment or something you heard and decided to copy but from now on if you do not keep such comments to yourself you will find your time at Hogwarts to be a most unpleasant experience." Reprimanded Professor McGonagall.

Total silence greeted her at the end of her statement.

_Not even at school and I'm already lecturing him. Not even the Marauders or the Weasley twins made me lose my temper that fast. That has to be some kind of record._ She thought exasperatedly.

Harry's expression did not change on the outside except for the grin sliding off of his face. He continued to listen to her words without saying anything else used to being talked to in that tone but seethed on the inside. He saw that she was finished and his first instinct was to shoot back an insult but knew it would only cause more problems and bit back the retort on the tip of his tongue.

Taking in a deep breath he let it out slowly as to release his anger and calm down.

"I apologize for my outburst Professor. It's just that I'm a bit scared about this whole magic thing and when I get scared I tend to blurt the first thing I think off without thinking about the consequences." Harry said ashamed lowering his eyes to the ground and not making eye contact.

"All my life I have been told that magic isn't real. That it's just an illusion and that I'm a freak if I continue to believe in it. The people at the orphanage don't like me much cause of all the strange things that happen around me so they stay away. The other kids bully me and insult me. They tell the other kids to stay away from me. When you and Headmaster Dumbledore came and told me the truth I felt for the first time some hope that I wasn't some sort of monster or freak. Some place where I belong. That's all I ever wanted. To be accepted. I'm sorry for the way I behaved earlier." Harry finished of despondently.

Professor McGonagall felt mortified at her behavior. At first she responded in the way she usually would dealing with a student but hearing Harry talk made her feel all the more ashamed. In all the anticipation of teaching James and Lily's son she neglected one of the most painful truths in front of her.

He's only an eleven year old boy whose whole world was just turned upside down a few days ago. What he knew of the world was irrevocably altered and so he responded the only way he knew how and here she was making it worse for him.

"I'm sorry as well Mister Potter for my earlier outburst. I did not take into account your feelings about this situation you find yourself in. I will try to make a better effort in it in the future." Minerva answered softly with a promise to herself to help him more and not to lose her temper as fast.

"It's alright. I understand. I'll watch what I'm saying from now on." Harry replied after a moment shooting Professor McGonagall a small smile while inwardly grinning at how easy it was to trick her and see her limits.

He only made those comments to get a measure of what kind of person she was and see what it would take before she cracked. He only stopped after he got what he needed. It wouldn't do to alienate himself from one of his future teachers who could give him a hard time at school if acted as a bratty jackass.

"Good. Now follow me and we'll get your supplies."

She walked inside the establishment with Harry right behind her. He felt a tingling feeling over his body as he walked inside.

The pub looked like it came right out of the middle ages. There were wooden tables spread apart, a few booths on the side and an old fashioned counter by the bar. There were no light bulbs' being used. Instead there was candles floating by the walls and there was some kind of glowing balls on the ceiling.

One table had a person sitting by himself in the corner. His head was down so Harry couldn't get a good look at him. There were a few people sitting on the other tables talking and laughing. Harry locked eyes with one of the men and looked into his mind. To his joy he was able to easily access his mind with no barriers in place. He made eye contact with the other people sitting next to him and looked into the minds. He had the same results as before. He looked into the minds of any person he passed with success.

Satisfied he withdrew his probe happy with his revelation that he could still use his mind reading ability.

Following Professor McGonagall, who said a cursory hello to a man behind the counter named Tom. Tom was bald, toothless and tall man. Harry didn't get a chance to talk to him before Professor McGonagall ushered him out the back door.

They walked out the back door and were in the rear courtyard of the Leaky Cauldron. There was nothing there except a brick wall. Professor McGonagall walked up too the wall and pulled out her wand. She moved her wand three up and two across, three times. After the third time she tapped the brick and the wall opened up like a secret passage since in essence that's exactly what it was.

Harry stepped up beside her and gasped at the sight.

There were hundreds of people milling about in the alley. Some were by themselves, others with friends and families either shopping or just hanging out. There were shops packed together on the street with different names on it. Harry's eyes devoured the sight like a man who hasn't had any food in a long time. He felt a part of him rejoice at the feeling of being here like he was always supposed to.

"Welcome Mister Potter to Diagon Alley." Said Professor McGonagall amused at her charge's look of awe.

"Come now Mister Potter. You can do some sightseeing later after we have finished our business."

Harry turned to look at Professor McGonagall and saw her flick her wand at herself. Instantly her dark green pantsuit changed into emerald green robes and she now had a pointed hat on her head.

"Where are we going first Professor?" asked Harry following McGonagall down the street. Harry didn't pay too much attention to the stores knowing she would see them later.

"We are going to Gringotts bank. It is the main bank of the wizarding world. Your parents had an account there and we are going there first to see what you inherit as their heir."

A snowy white building, near the intersection of Knockturn Alley and Diagon Alley is where Gringotts bank is located. It towers over all of the neighboring shops looking regal and intimidating. There were two green creatures as tall as Harry standing on either side of a set of bronze doors. They were wearing a kind of armor with weapons rested on their sides.

"Those are creatures known as goblins. The whole bank is operated solely by them and they are most efficient at running it." Said McGonagall seeing what drew his gaze.

They walked closer to the bronze doors and saw that there was an inscription on he doors

"_Enter, stranger, but take heed  
_

_of what awaits the sin of greed_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._"

Harry didn't get a chance to ponder the words before they walked through the silver doors and entered the lobby. The main floor was paved with marble and has long counters stretching along its length. There were tellers behind the counters but instead of people there were Goblins.

"Wizards and witches keep their money and other valuables in vaults that are protected by very complex and strong security measures. The vaults extend for miles under London and they are accessible through rough stone passageways and then by means of magic carts that travel speedily along their tracks. Gringotts also offers Muggle-Wizarding currency exchange." Lectured Minerva giving Harry a brief description about the bank.

They waited on line and walked up to a goblin teller where a gruff looking goblin sat when they were called.

"Business?" asked the goblin which sounded more like a growl.

"We are here to claim the vaults of the Potter family." Intoned Professor McGonagall.

"Oh really?" questioned the goblin looking…amused? "Nobody's attempted to claim the Potter vaults in at least six years."

"Yes but that was because they weren't the heir to the Potter vaults." Retorted McGonagall tersely. "He is." She said with a nod at Harry.

The goblin took a long hard look at Harry as if he was measuring him up. Harry refusing to back down from the rather intimidating look starred back where they engaged in a silent battle of will.

The Goblin was the one who broke the stare first after seeing whatever it was he wanted. He signaled to another goblin that came up to the teller's desk.

"Griphook. Escort the good Professor and her youngling to Nagnok's office. Tell him that the wizard here wishes to claim the Potter vaults." said the goblin as if he's just heard the funniest thing in the world.

The goblin named Griphook beckoned them forward and escorted them through a silver door on the side leading into a smaller but more opulent hallway. He started walking down the hallway with Minerva and Harry trailing behind.

Harry saw many different names on the doors such as Black, Bones, Crouch, Lestrange, and Malfoy. Harry wondered what all those names meant. They finally reached a door that had the name Potter on it which only increased Harry's confusion.

Griphook knocked once then opened the door. He stepped through with the guests following.

The office was simple but luxurious. The carpet looked to be expensive, the walls adorned with different artifacts preserved in glass cases, and there seemed to be a crest engraved on the wall opposite the door. It had the image of a griffin standing on it's hind legs with its wings spread looking like it's ready to fly.

In front of the crest there was a rich mahogany desk filled with papers and a couple of objects. There was a goblin sitting behind the desk and Harry guessed that this must be Nagnok.

Griphook walked up to the desk and started conversing with Nagnok in low tones. Harry tried to understand what they were saying but they were talking in an unknown language.

The goblin behind the desk named Nagnok stood up and walked over to one of the glass cabinets in the room. He opened it and took out a basin. It was a dark blue and was covered in many different symbols. It was filled with some kind of silver colored liquid. He placed the basin on his desk. He then took out a blank piece of parchment and placed it in the basin. He chanted a phrase and the liquid in the basin glowed briefly before fading. He went back to the cabinet and pulled out a gold knife that had the same type of symbols as the basin.

"What is your name?" Nagnok asked rather rudely to Harry.

"Harry Potter." He replied. A nod of Nagnok's head was the only indication he heard the answer.

"I need 3 drops of your blood to be taken with the knife to verify your identity."

Harry looked at Professor McGonagall who gave a nod of assent to Harry in response to his silent question.

He held out his hand and Nagnok placed it over the basin palm facing upward. He took the knife and placed the tip on his middle finger pushing just enough to draw blood. As soon as the blood started to come out he removed the knife and flipped Harry's hand over so the blood could drop into the basin.

The liquid glowed for about a minute before receding. Nagnok cleaned the knife with a cloth before placing it back in the cabinet. He then reached into the basin and pulled out the parchment. Neither his hand nor the parchment had any sign of being wet.

The parchment that was in there was no longer blank. Instead it was filled with words. He sat down and began to read it.

Nagnok looked at the parchment and read it over. His eyes widened when he read it and he looked at Harry before looking at the parchment again. He read it again and placed it on the table with an expressionless face.

"Congratulations. It seems you are who you say you are Heir Apparent Potter. I am glad to see that the reports of your demise were false. My name is Nagnok and I am the account manager of the Potter account." Said Nagnok politely for a goblin after finding out who was sitting in front of him.

"What was it you just did?" asked Harry curious and confused as to what happened.

"That Heir Apparent Potter was the inheritance ritual. It is used to validate the identity of a person and show what exactly that person inherits. Blood is needed to show their lineage and it has to come from the source so that we know the person is who they say they are and not an impostor. The parchment placed in the basin then magically writes who that person is, their age and what they are entitled to receive if anything." Explained Nagnok.

"Okaaaay." Harry said after that. He didn't really understand all of it but he got the gist of it.

"So what am I entitled to?"

"I cannot tell you what you inherit until your companion leaves the room."

"Why do I have to leave?" asked Professor McGonagall curious.

"It is against Gringotts policy for people other than the inheritor to hear the contents being read. This is to prevent any undue influence on the inheritor. It is not a slight against your character Madam McGonagall as you are well known as being honest and fair but more for our own protection as well as our clients." Said Nagnok seeing McGonagall get worked up. It wouldn't do to insult a prominent member of wizarding society.

"Very well then. Mister Potter I will wait in the lobby for you when have finished here." She said before she rose out of her seat and left the office.

Harry was partly glad for this. He didn't want anyone else to know what he got unless he wanted to let them know. Another part was wondering what was going to happen next.

"Now on to business. As heir to the Potter fortune you inherit a substantial amount of wealth. Your monetary assets total 1,896,512 galleons, 976,324 sickles, and 734,268 knuts. In muggle Britain currency that would be £ 9,777,161.05. As of right now you can only access your trust vault. Your vault contains 100,000 galleons, 50,000 sickles, and 25,000 knuts. In muggle currency that would be £ 514,959.43. It would get refilled on the first of July every year. This money is yours to do whatever you want with it and will always get replenished until you hit the age of majority at 17 which then you would be able to access your family vaults. That takes care of the financial aspects. Any questions so far?"

Harry just sat there with a stupefied expression on his face. Until today he didn't have more than £ 30 to his name and now he had almost £ 10,000,000.

"Yes." Harry squeaked. He cleared his throat and said, "Yes I do have some questions. First of what is a gall-whatever it is you called it?"

"A _**galleon**_ is the largest and most valuable coin in wizarding currency. It is gold colored and is larger, and more round than the other coins. A _**sickle **_is the second most valuable coin and is silver colored. It is smaller and less round than a galleon. Finally there is a _**knut **_which is brown colored and is the smallest coin we have. The exchange rate from muggle currency to British currency is 1 bronze Knut = £0.01 (US about 2 cents), 1 silver Sickle = £0.29 (about US$0.57), 1 Galleon = £5.00 (more or less US$9.75). There are 17 Sickles to 1 galleon and 29 Knuts to 1 Sickle." Nagnok clarified.

_Makes sense that they would have their own currency if there separate from the non-magicals, I mean muggles. Have to remember these wizarding terms if I want to fit in._

"Next question. You said that I have a trust vault and I can only get a certain amount from it before it refills to the set amount each year. Why is that exactly?"

"Before your parents died they made a will. When we verified your identity a copy of your will was put on the parchment which showed what they wanted done. In it they gave most of their assets to you and a few to other people they mentioned. The law currently makes it only possible for adults ages 17 and over to access their full inheritance. This is to prevent the money from being spent to quickly and causing the bank to lose some of its capital. Before that though you receive a stipend to cover whatever needs you have."

"All right. Anything else I inherit?" Harry asked still struggling to wrap around the idea that he's now rich.

"You also inherit two properties as well. Godric's Hollow and Potter manor. Both are inaccessible to you until you reach majority. You will also inherit the title of Lord Potter when you turn 17 as well. You are the last of a most noble and ancient house so it will fall to you to oversee all the duties it entails as well." Nagnok finished.

Harry seeing that he finished reading wondered what to do next.

"Heir apparent Potter may I ask are you going to be enrolled at Hogwarts this term?" asked Nagnok.

"Yes I am. Why do you ask?"

"Your parents made arrangements before they died so that your tuition money for Hogwarts would automatically be paid each year from the main family vaults until either you graduate or decide to stop attending Hogwarts. Since you are going to Hogwarts we will forward the money on your behalf. Is this acceptable sir?" He asked not wanting to offend his client.

"Yeah that's fine."Harry replied exhausted. _Man I haven't even gone shopping yet and I'm already wiped out from what I learned so far._

"How much money did you wish to take out of your vault?" asked Nagnok

"I need enough to cover my expenses in Diagon Alley for my school supplies and some extra for anything else that I might need. How much would that be? I'm not too sure about it."

"I would say take a total amount of 600 galleons, 300 sickles and 150 knuts should be enough for your shopping expenditures." Advised Nagnok.

"You also convert galleons to muggle money right?" asked Harry.

Seeing his nod Harry ploughed on.

"Can you also convert the equivalent of £ 2,000 as well? And do you have anything secure to put them in? Like a wallet or something?"

"Of course. For your galleons we have a pouch that when you touch it will only open for you. If any other person tried to open without your approval they would get burns on their hands that won't stop unless they see a Healer in which case they will know what that person was up to. It is also impervious to most spells as well making it near indestructible. If you ever lose it the pouch will automatically reappear in your hands. The same thing will occur with your wallet that contains your muggle money as well. They are both also charmed to be invisible to muggles. They are also charmed to be feather light. There will also be a small fee to use these products. It will cost 10 galleons for the pouch and 5 galleons for the wallet. Will that suffice?"

"Hell yeah that'll do." Exclaimed Harry liking what he was hearing. Nagnok gestured to Griphook to get said objects.

A few minutes later Griphook returned with the pouch and the wallet both already filled with money. They both had the same crest on it that was behind Nagnok's desk as well as another crest.

"All you have to do is touch it and it will record your magical signature." Instructed Griphook.

Harry placed his hands on the objects and felt his hands heat up. After five seconds the heat died down from his hands returning them to their previous temperature. He picked them up and placed the wallet in his pocket and tied the pouch to his side.

"What are the crests on these? This one is the same as the one carved into the wall." questioned Harry.

"The crest on the back is the Gringotts crest to show where you got the pouch. The one on the front that is also carved into the wall is your family crest to show who they belong to." Responded Nagnok.

"Oh." Harry took a closer look at the Potter crest almost reverently knowing that it belonged to his family.

"I almost forgot to give you this." Nagnok got up and went to the glass cabinet again. Instead of opening the cabinet with the basin he opened a smaller door and took out a small gold key. He closed the door and went back to Harry placing the key in his hand.

"This key is the key to your trust vault. If you ever have to take out more money you can just ask the teller to take you to your vault instead of having to see me every time."

"Thanks." He placed the key in his pocket as well.

"Is there anything else I should know?" Queried Harry.

"At this time no."

Harry seeing that there was no other business got up. The goblins were already standing.

"Thanks for all your help. I guess I'll be going now."

"It's our job. We thank you for using our services today and hope it has met your expectations." Nagnok answered.

Harry didn't want to be cruel and say that he didn't have any expectations since he only found out about the bank right before he entered. It won't do to have the goblins angry at him and cause him problems later on.

"I thank you for your services today and applaud the goblins of Gringotts for their excellent generosity." Harry replied having no idea were the words came from but feeling as if it was the right thing to say.

"We thank you for your compliment Heir Potter." Nagnok replied instantly.

"I must be going now. Have a good day." With that parting note Griphook recognized his cue to leave and escorted Harry back to the main lobby.

_God I hope there aren't any more surprises like that. I don't think I could take it. _He thought hopefully not realizing that the biggest surprise had yet to come.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Here's the next chapter. I've been asked when Harry and Hermione are going to meet. They'll get their first meeting in the next chapter. I'm going to make it different from the other ways they meet. At least I hope it'll be different and she'll start playing a larger role in the story.

Chapter 7

_Diagon Alley_

Harry rejoined Minerva at the main lobby. Checking once more to make sure his money pouch and wallet were secure they walked out of the bank and onto Diagon Alley.

"Do you have your school list with you?" Minerva asked as soon as they were out of Gringotts.

"Yeah, hang on a moment."Harry pulled it out of his pocket. He didn't really take a good look at it before due to the fact that he was more preoccupied with all the new information he received the past week. He now took the time to look it over.

_First years will require  
Uniform  
1. Three sets of plain black work robes  
2. One plain black pointed hat for everyday wear  
3. One black winter cloak  
4. One pair of protective gloves_

_Set Books  
All students should have a copy of the following:  
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk  
A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch  
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot  
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling  
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore  
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger  
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander  
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble_

_Other Equipment  
1 wand  
1 cauldron (pewter)  
1 set glass or crystal phials  
1 set of potion ingredients  
1 telescope  
1 brass scale  
1 set of parchment, quills, and ink  
STUDENTS MAY ALSO BRING A PET (owl, cat, rabbit, turtle, toad)_

_Note: First Year students are not allowed to bring their own brooms from home._

"Where to first professor?" questioned Harry.

"We are going to get your school trunk first." Replied Minerva.

They walked down the alley till they reached the store. It was filled with trunks of all different sizes, colors, and even shapes. There were also backpacks, carrying cases, purses, satchels, etc. There was a middle aged man standing behind the counter wearing a monocle in his right eye. The monocle reminded Harry of the character from the board game monopoly.

"Welcome. My name is Simon. How may I help you?" The man with the monocle asked.

"Afternoon Simon." Replied Minerva.

"Oh Minerva. I didn't see you there. Damn monocle doesn't do its job. Don't know why I even bother. So what can I do for you today?" he asked.

"I'm helping out my charge here in getting his supplies." Said Minerva motioning with her hand at Harry.

"Oh? It's that time of year already? Guess you'll be needing the standard Hogwarts trunk right?"

"Yes as well as a backpack."

The man named Simon walked around the counter and made his way to the backroom. Five minutes later he returned with a standard black school trunk and a black shoulder bag.

"The total is 22 galleons and 7 sickles."Simon said after counting the total.

"Do you also add crests and initials on stuff as well?" spoke Harry for the first time.

"We do. If you want it on your trunk and bag it'll be 20 sickles more." Simon replied.

"Do it."

"Very well. Do you have a picture of the crest you want with you?" he asked.

"Will this do?" Harry asked pulling out his money pouch and showing him the Potter family crest.

"Yeah that'll do. Also what are the initials?"

"H.J.P"

Simon took out his wand and traced it over the crest. He then pointed it at the trunk and said _**Geminio**_. The image of the crest shot out of the wand and hit the trunk in its center. The copy of the griffin on its hind legs with its wings spread was engraved on the trunk. Simon said the phrase again this time pointing his wand at the bag and the griffin image was placed on their as well though not as big as the trunk. On the trunk the griffin was in the colors of white and dark red. The image on the bag was in white and dark red as well. He then put the initials H.J.P on both objects as well in white.

Professor McGonagall said nothing as this was being done. A lot of families put their symbols to show which family they belong to. She didn't think Harry knew that though.

"Here you go." Simon said showing them the crests.

Harry liked it and thanked the man. He paid the extra amount and they left the store.

* * *

Simon forgot to ask which family the crest belonged to. He tried to remember but was brought out of his musing when he heard a bell chime alerting him that he had another customer.

He immediately recognized the man who came into his store. He usually comes in to get trunks that are durable and stable enough to hold all of his supplies. He's also a well-known member of society.

"Afternoon. How can I be of service today? Need more space in your trunks for your materials?" Simon asked good-naturedly while hiding his disgust at the sight of the man. He might give Simon good business but his behavior towards Simon and others always grated on his nerves. Naturally none of his unpleasant thoughts showed on his face.

"Did you speak with the two that were in here before?" the man sneered in his usual tone disregarding Simon's greeting.

"Yes I did." Simon answered confused.

"Do you know who the child Professor McGonagall was escorting is?" The man asked.

"No I don't. Why don't you ask her since you two…?" Simon started to say.

"Idiot. If I wanted to know I would have asked her. I asked if _**you**_ knew who he was?" the man interrupted harshly fingering his wand idly in full view of Simon.

"No I do not know who he is." Simon replied nervously beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead.

The man took a long look into Simon's eyes as if seeing if he was lying.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity he spoke his voice barely above a whisper but Simon heard it as if he shouted.

"Very well. I see in your feeble mind that you don't know. I also see that you haven't been completely honest with me. I see the crest in your mind and you wonder which family it belongs to. Too bad you will never know. I can't have you spreading it once you figured it out."

"What are you going to do?" Simon said terrified wondering if he's going to die.

"Fool. I'm not going to kill you but unfortunately for you, you won't remember and don't think your pitiful wards will alert anyone. I disabled it as soon as I came in." said the man seeing what Simon was thinking in his mind.

"I grow tired of this conversation. _**Obliviate. Tempus Eximo Somnus.**_" The man pointed his wand at Simon and erased the past hour of his life from his mind and put him to sleep. He would wake up in ten minutes thinking he dozed off. He also erased the spell the man did on his wand and changed the order form to show that it was a different person who bought the trunk. The man reapplied the wards and left the shop silently with no evidence that he was even in there to begin with.

Many different stores' employees throughout the day would experience the same as Simon did.

* * *

Professor McGonagall and Harry entered Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasion. They walked in to find the store full of robes and a woman measuring a blond haired boy. She looked up at the sound of her bell jingling.

"Afternoon Minerva." Greeted the woman kindly.

"It's good to see you. This is Harry and he needs to get his robes. Harry this is Madam Malkin." Minerva introduced Harry and Madam Malkin to each other politely. She was a short woman wearing light blue robes.

"It is that time of year. Hop on up sweetie and I'll be right with you." Said Madam Malkin. Harry narrowed his eyes at the word sweetie. He hated it when strangers especially strangers who act familiar with him talked to him as if he was not there. He said nothing but merely stepped onto the stool next to the blond boy and waited.

"You don't have to wait here Professor. I'll be done shortly." Said Harry hoping she would not insist on staying and taking charge like she did in the trunk shop. He hated it when he did not have control of a situation as well.

Minerva thinking that nothing bad could come of it agreed to browse around the store and to call her when he was done. She walked off leaving Harry with the blond boy and Madam Malkin.

Madam Malkin said a couple of minutes later that she'll have his robes packed and to wait here.

"This your first year?" asked the blond boy to Harry.

"Yes." Harry replied. The blond boy gave Harry a look similar to the goblin teller as if he was sizing him up.

"Mine as well. I've met all of the staff at Hogwarts and they know me well. Father is on the board of governors and occasionally takes me with him. Who was that with you? I don't think I've seen her before." Said the blond boy pompously.

Harry only raised an eyebrow at this. If what he said was true then he should know who Minerva McGonagall was. Harry looked into the blond boys mind and saw that he was only telling a half-truth. His father was a member of the board but he never took his son with him and he never met any of the staff save for Dumbledore and a thin man with sallow skin and a large, hooked nose. He had shoulder-length, greasy black hair which framed his face in curtains. His eyes were black that resembled dark tunnels. He had a thin-lipped, sneering mouth with yellow, uneven teeth. His mind supplied the name Severus Snape and he taught potions.

"If what you said was true then you should know that the woman with me is Professor McGonagall. She's a teacher there but _of course _you already knew that." Said Harry mockingly matching the blond boy's tone.

The blond boy's lips curled into a sneer and his pale face was a little pink in embarrassment.

"What's your name?" demanded the boy rudely.

"It's common courtesy to introduce your self first before asking others. Any person with _some _idea to propriety should know." Harry drawled talking to the blond boy like he was beneath him which Harry believed he was.

The blond boy catching the insult puffed up like a balloon ready to burst.

"Obviously you must be a _**mudblood **_if you have no idea who I am. Pure-bloods shouldn't have to deal with scoundrels as you." Shot back the blond boy smugly.

Harry didn't need to read his mind to know that the word mudblood was supposed to be an insult.

Before Harry could respond Madam Malkin came back and told him his order was ready. The blond boy gave Harry one more disdainful look and walked off. He walked at least five steps before he tripped and fell flat on his face.

Embarrassed, the blond boy stood up and looked into the smirking face of Harry. He snarled at him and left the shop with what remained of his dignity.

"Oh dear me. I hope he's okay." Said Madam Malkin concerned.

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Replied an obviously amused Harry.

Madam Malkin measured Harry and had him try the robes on. He looked himself in the mirror and felt as if he was a real wizard. He didn't really feel like one before but now with the robes he looked it as well. In addition to the school robes, Harry bought robes for casual wear in red, black, dark blue, and green. He also bought silk pajamas in green and black. He bought a pair of dragon hide boots which according to Madam Malkin was in style that would change colors to fit whatever outfit and that automatically resized to fit his feet and would for another ten years, socks as well as underwear was also bought. All the clothes were charmed with a heating charm to keep the clothes warm, sizing charm so that the clothes would grow with him but only good for a year, anti-smell and cleaning charms as well to keep it smelling fresh and looking good.

He also got his family crest on all of his robes in whatever color would complement the robes except for his school robes. Those robes would have the crest of Hogwarts and whatever house he would be in.

He also looked at their supplies of muggle clothing and saw that they were at least sixty years out of date. He asked her if he could buy clothing from muggle stores and bring them here so she can charm them. She said he could but depending on the fabric it might not last as long.

The total came to 91 galleons, 34 sickles and 19 knuts. Harry felt it was money well spent. He decided to wear out one of his casual robes in the color green with the dragon hide boots in dark green.

* * *

After Madam Malkin's they went to Apothecary where they got all of Harry's potion supplies and vials to hold them as well as scales. The cauldron shop next to get his pewter cauldron then the stationary store to get parchment, inks, and quills. Also bought was a telescope used for astronomy.

Flourish and Botts was visited next and next to Gringotts spent the most time in there. Harry got all of his school books as well as books supplementary to each class. Professor McGonagall said it would be helpful. He also got a book called _Hogwarts: A History _which detailed all about the school since its debut, _Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts _which looked interesting, _An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe _which described the education of the different wizarding schools in Europe, _A_ _Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions,_gave a list of different spells that show how to use it and counter,_Different Ways Wizards Can Travel, _which mentioned portkeys, _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century ____and __Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century. _He skimmed through the title _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century _and saw his name as well as his parents. It said that the Potters were responsible for the downfall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named whoever that was. It also stated that his parents as well as himself all died that night as well.

It seemed that the Potters were regarded as_ the family_ of the wizarding world. According to the book they were like the wizarding version of royalty. Wondering if this was true then Harry silently wondered why he was raised in an orphanage and not with some magical family. Obviously he wasn't dead but then why did everyone think he was? For protection? And why was he left at a muggle orphanage with no idea who he is? Having more questions than answers he resolved to ask McGonagall the first chance he got.

He also bought _Modern Magical History, Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy, The Ministry: What is it and it's Function, ____and__ The Laws of Magical Britain. _

He also looked for any books that would describe his mind reading skill and how some people were able to block it and how some were not. He found in a book about mind arts that his skill was called legilimency.

_Legilimency, a branch of magic not normally taught at Hogwarts is the ability to extract emotions and memories from another person's mind. Although the word literally translates as 'mind-reading', this is considered a naive interpretation of the art by its practitioners. Someone who practices Legilimency is known as a Legilimens._

_Legilimency is easier when the spell-caster is physically near the target, and when the target is off-guard, relaxed, or otherwise vulnerable. Eye contact is often essential, so it is useful for a Legilimens to verbally manipulate his or her target into meeting the Legilimens' eyes, with the fringe benefit that the target's emotional state may bring relevant associated memories to the surface._

_Note: Legilimency is regulated by the ministry and any person caught learning it illegally will have a minimum of a ten year sentence in the prison of Azkaban. Ministry must approve a person before they can learn legilimency._

Even though the book didn't say anymore Harry found it extremely interesting. It didn't mention the spell needed but since he's been already doing it he could just replicate it. Further down the book showed that the only way to block legilimency is by occlumency.

_Occlumency is the art of magically defending the mind against external penetration, sealing it against magical intrusion and influence - the defensive counter to Legilimency. A practitioner of Occlumency is referred to as an Occlumens. _

_Occlumency is a necessary prerequisite to defeat a Legilimens' lie-detector abilities without suspicious behavior such as avoiding face-to-face contact and eye contact. Elementary Occlumency involves clearing the mind of thought and emotion, so that the Legilimens can find no emotional ties to memories that the target wishes to conceal. Simple resistance to attack requires similar skills to those needed to resist the Imperius Curse. In its more advanced form, Occlumency allows the user to suppress only feelings and memories that contradict what the user wishes a Legilimens to believe, thus allowing the Occlumens to lie without self-betrayal._

_Note: Occlumency is not illegal to learn but is heavily frowned upon. In order for a person to be a master occlumens they must be repeatedly attacked by a legilimens to learn how to block them. Ministry must approve a person before they can learn occlumency._

That was the only book in the store that described legilimency and occlumency. It seemed that if a person wanted to learn it they would have to go to the government. Harry figured what he could do would have to be enough for now. Later on if he could he would learn it but it wasn't a pressing need for now.

In total Harry spent an hour and a half in the store and paid over 150 galleons for all the books. The most expensive book he bought was _The Laws of Magical Britain_. That was worth 60 galleons by itself and was in limited supply.

Due to the many books Harry bought they had to revisit the trunk store to include a bookcase compartment to hold all of his books. Simon wasn't there when they went back. The clerk watching the store said that he was on his lunch break but said he could help them. The clerk added the second compartment to the trunk and he also added a feather light charm and an expansion charm on Harry's book bag so the books wouldn't weigh him down and there would be enough space to hold up to ten books at one time without feeling the extra weight. It cost Harry an extra 13 galleons to add it to his trunk and bag but made carrying all those books easier.

"What's left professor?" Harry asked as they stepped out of the bookstore.

"All that's left is to buy your wand and if you want a pet, Mr. Potter." Replied Minerva as they walked down the less crowded alley.

"I don't think I want a pet now. Not really a big fan of animals and the orphanage would never let me keep it even if I was leaving in a month." Said Harry thinking it over. He had enough trouble taking care of himself and adding a pet would only cause him more problems.

"It is your decision after all."

They walked in silence the rest of the way until they reached a store where the letters over the door were peeling off. The shop was narrow, shabby and just as dilapidated as the rest of Diagon Alley. Set above the door was a wooden signboard, painted a dark green with faded and peeling gold letters that declared, _Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC_. There was only a single window looking out onto the cobblestone street that wound through the alley. Displayed on a moth-eaten purple pillow was a single, elegantly carved wand.

The inside of the store looked just as bad as the front. The shop was tiny, empty except for a single, spindly chair in the corner. Thousands of narrow boxes containing wands are piled right up to the ceiling of the tiny shop, and the whole place has a thin layer of dust about it.

"Ah, Harry Potter."

Harry spun round and saw an old man to one side of the entrance standing alongside Professor McGonagall. He was dressed much as every other wizard Harry had thus far encountered though he looked a bit on the dusty side much like the rest of the shop. His hair was a wild mass of white surrounding his head like a halo of clouds. His eyes were an unnaturally pale silvery color and both eyes were focused unblinking upon Harry with a startling intensity.

Harry felt as if a feather had brushed his mind the minute he locked eyes with the old man. Harry not knowing what was going on but wanting the old man to stop whatever he was doing he unknowingly and accidentally tapped into his magical core and used it to repel the attack back to the old man.

Shocked by the mental response the old man withdrew his probe and gave Harry a long look.

"It seems the rumors of your demise were false. I am glad you are alive and well." The old man said in a soft voice.

_Demise? It seems everyone knows more about me than me. _Harry thought scornfully.

"I am Ollivander and I run this store." The man named Ollivander introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you." Harry said neutrally eying him.

"Now Mr. Potter which is your wand hand?" Ollivander stepped up to Harry and withdrew a silver tape measure from his pocket.

"My wand hand?" Harry asked confused. He understood what the old man was referring to but was put off by the silliness of the question to answer it.

"The hand which you write with."

"Oh. I can write with both hands but easier to do with my right hand." Harry replied. The only reason he could write with his left hand was that he had to learn when his right hand was broken by Stephen's gang when he was nine. The teachers didn't think a broken arm was reason enough to stop Harry from turning in his assignments.

"Your parents were right handed as well but I don't think either one was as adept with their left hand." Ollivander said walking into the back to get some wands. The tape measurer was moving independently.

"What kind of wands did my parents use?"

"You mother's wand was made of willow with a unicorn hair at its centre. Ten and a quarter inches long. Good for charms. Your father, on the other hand, was selected by a mahogany wand with a dragon heartstring core. A powerful wand. Eleven inches long. Perfect for transfiguration."

Ollivander came back to the front with boxes in his hand. With a wave of his hand the tape measurer left Harry and sat on the desk. He took out a wand and gave it to Harry.

"Go on. Give it a wave." He encouraged.

Harry raised his arm to wave it but Ollivander snatched it out of his hand.

"No that isn't it. Try this one. Oak and phoenix feather. Exactly twelve inches."

Harry waved again but Ollivander snatched it from his hands muttering it wasn't the right one.

This was the process for the next forty minutes. Ollivander would hand him a wand, tell him to wave it, and snatch it moments later telling him it doesn't match. Then he would give him another wand and the process repeated itself. The closest match was an eleven inch Holly and phoenix feather wand. Ollivander was excited about having a tricky customer and with every failure was enjoying finding Harry his wand more and more. Harry personally thought that Ollivander might wet himself if he got anymore excited.

"The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter," the man had said knowingly after another failed attempt to find his wand."We just haven't found the right one yet." Ollivander glanced from Harry's face to the box on the top.

"I wonder..." he murmured to himself. He climbed the small ladder and pulled the box off of the shelf. He opened the box and gingerly pulled out the wand it contained and handed it to Harry.

"Try this. Yew with the core of a basilisk fang coated in basilisk venom. Eleven inches."

The minute Harry touched the wand the room lit up with Harry's magic. It was like fireworks exploded inside the shop and there was a rainbow of colors surrounding Harry. Ollivander and Professor McGonagall had to cover their eyes at the intensity of the light Harry was throwing off. Wind picked up originating from Harry which caused most of Ollivander's wands to fall from the shelves.

Harry was oblivious to all this only focusing on the feeling that the wand gave him. Instinctively, Harry knew that he was different from other children for a long time. He could do things no other person could and reveled in it. When Dumbledore came it only reinforced what Harry already knew but now it had a name to it. _Magic. _The warm feeling in his body he felt whenever he used it was his magic being used. It comforted him and gave him a feeling of contentment that he rarely felt but only lasted for as long as he used it then the feeling would disappear and he hated that. He constantly used his magic to the point of exhaustion just to maintain that feeling.

The minute the wand reacted to him Harry experienced a feeling of pure pleasure throughout his body. The magic in him seemed to rejoice at the feeling of the wand and a part of him that he didn't know was empty was filled.

The light and the wind died down and Harry's magic retreated into him. He could still feel it vibrating, pulsing through his body ready to be used at a moments notice. He finally took his eyes off the wand and looked around him.

The whole store looked like a twister went through it. Wands were on the floor, the dust that was in the store was settling on the floor being moved from their original spots.

Harry looked back at his wand and breathed out one word.

"Amazing."

Harry speaking broke the trance that Ollivander and Professor McGonagall were under.

"Indeed. Mister Potter." Replied Professor McGonagall astonished. Her hat had fallen off and her hair was out of the bun she usually put it in. A quick flick of her wand fixed her appearance and picking up her fallen hat and placed it back on her head.

"I've never seen a reaction so strong before. Not even Albus produced such a reaction the first time he touched a wand." Ollivander said excitedly who suffered no ill effects to Harry's magic unlike Professor McGonagall.

Ollivander took another look at the wand and at Harry murmuring "Curious…very curious."

Knowing he was going to regret asking but doing it anyway, "What's curious?"

"That wand in your hand is one of a kind Mister Potter. I remember every wand that I have ever made and sold. _Every single wand_. The Yew wood of your wand is the exact same type as the wizard who attacked your family on Halloween. While the wood is not as significant as say two wands sharing the same core it is still important. The core of your wand was the only one I had in the store. It was brought in by the same wizard who attacked your family not long after he graduated from Hogwarts. He brought it in hopes of creating a new wand for himself for reasons only known to him. Unfortunately for him it was not compatible for him and he left infuriated and displeased. He left the wand and it has been here ever since. You are the only other person other than the Dark Lord who has touched this wand. It's curious that the wand in your hand was essentially created by the wizard who attacked your family and is now in your possession. So you see why it is so curious that _you_ of all people would be fated for such a wand."

Neither Harry nor Professor McGonagall who heard every word as well knew what to say to that. Harry paid him seven galleons for the wand plus eleven sickles for a school approved wrist holster for his wand and left the shop.

* * *

They walked back to the Leaky Cauldron and Professor McGonagall sat them at a table. The pub was filled with people chatting amicably. Minerva nodded to a few that knew her. They ordered food for themselves and waited. Tom the bartender brought it to their table and they ate it silently. The words of Ollivander ringing clear in both of their minds.

"Professor? Can I ask you something?" Harry asked cautiously breaking the silence between them.

Minerva looked at him thinking he might be asking about the wand. "You may."

"What happened to my parents Professor? I read in one of the books I bought that said that the Potter family was responsible for the downfall of a person called He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. It also said that the couple along with their son died but I'm not dead. So why would they say that?"

Of all the questions this was one Minerva wasn't expecting. It should have been obvious that he would have asked about that night sooner or later.

"You mean the Headmaster didn't tell you?" Minerva questioned.

"No. All he said was that I am a wizard and that I have a place at Hogwarts. He also said that my parents died and that you all thought that I died as well. Oh and my parents left me a vault full of money. That's it." Harry summed up.

Cursing Albus silently for not telling Harry more she wondered how to answer such a question.

"Your parents… were Aurors, a dark wizard catcher." She explained to Harry seeing his confused face. "The muggle version would be a soldier plus an intelligence agent. It is an Auror's job to catch dark wizards and bring them to justice."

"And my parents were killed by this dark wizard?"

"Yes. Your parents were drafted to join the ministry as soon as they graduated. We were in the middle of a war and the ministry needed Aurors as soon as possible. Aurors were being picked off and the ministry needed more wizards. So the ministry in addition to the draft offered rewards for every single Death Eaters---the name of You-Know -Who's army---. The more death eaters they brought the higher the reward. Usually it was a bounty and they would collect their earnings. Your parents were two of many people who were drafted. They went through the accelerated wartime training program and became partners. Together they managed to bring in many dark wizards. It's also one of the reasons why they were so well-known. James and Lily Potter brought in more death eaters than any other team. From all their captures they amassed quite a fortune."

She stopped for a moment to take a drink. Setting it back down she continued her tale.

"Eventually You-Know-Who heard about their success and went after them personally. They managed to stop him three times before he finally got them. Nobody knows what happened that night except for the people in the house. Obviously you were too young to remember and I doubt you would remember. As soon as the wizarding world learned of _his _death the Potters were known from that night on as the Family–Who-Conquered." Minerva finished off.

Harry shook his head negatively at the last statement. He had no idea what happened that night except for a high chilling laughter and a green light.

"Why did people think I was dead?"

Minerva sighed heavily stalling a few minutes to formulate her thoughts before answering.

"By the time we got to your house in Godrics' Hollow the house was destroyed. There was nothing left there. We never found your body and assumed that you died in the fire. Obviously you didn't."

Harry didn't say anything even at Minerva's jab.

"Mister Potter… Harry I would like to apologize for not finding you sooner. We, I should have looked harder for you. I failed you as well as your parents who were two of my favorite students." Minerva said unexpectedly feeling shame and guilt for not finding him. There were tears in her eyes as she spoke.

"You did what you could. Nobody can fault you for that." Harry replied awkwardly patting her hand not knowing how to properly comfort her and not really willing. He was extremely pissed and angry that they didn't find him sooner but kept those thoughts to himself.

"Thank you for your kind words but it will be a long time before I don't feel guilty anymore." Minerva replied solemnly.

"So do you know how I might have survived?" Harry asked changing the subject quite obviously.

Recognizing the not so subtle change she gratefully took it.

"Nobody really knows but if I had to guess I think somebody found you before we did and placed you in the orphanage for reasons known only to them. It is the only thing I can think of."

"I see. Professor, what was the name of the person who killed my parents?"

"We don't speak his name."

"Why? If he's dead then why don't you say it?" Harry was honestly confused by that. If it was him he would want people to know his name, not be so scared as to not say it but at the same time impressed that the wizard was so terrifying that people were still scared to say his name even after he died.

"He did so many terrible things that people still remember it. It has been ten years since his downfall and we as a community have only recently recovered from the war and we are still rebuilding in some areas."

"Okay I guess I can understand. But can you tell me his name?" Harry pressed.

"Very well." Lowering her head she whispered in his ear, "Voldemort" which was followed by a shiver as she said his name.

"Voldemort?" Harry inquired.

"Don't say it but yes that is his name." Minerva advised.

"What was the war about?" Harry asked.

"You-Know-Who was a big supporter of blood purity. He believed pure-blooded wizards, wizards who have no non-magical ancestors, were the only type of wizards who should be allowed to practice magic. He waged a war against half-blood and muggleborn wizards and witches. Half-blood wizard's term applied to wizards who come from either a combination of one Muggle & one magical person, a Muggle-Born & Half- or Pure-blood", or Half & Half-blood parents and all must including part-muggle ancestry. You would be considered a half-blood because your father was a pure blood while your mother was a muggleborn. Muggleborn is the term applied to wizards who come from muggle parents." Professor McGonagall lectured.

"How can a witch or wizard come from a muggle family?"

"In order for a muggle-born to be magical they would need to have a magical ancestor in their genealogy, possibly numerous generations back. Pure-bloods know this but they believe that since their magic passes on to the next generation that they are superior." She answered.

"I met a boy who was my age while I was being fitted for my robes and he called me a mudblood. What does that mean?"

"It is an offensive term meant to degrade and insult a person. Basically the word means "filthy blood" or "dirty blood" and is used by pure blood wizards to make themselves feel superior."

"Kind of like how some muggles insult others because of their skin color." Harry answered back thoughtfully.

Minerva nodded approvingly at his answer. Glancing at the clock she saw that it was already night and she had to get back to the castle.

"It seems that our time is up Mister Potter. I have to take you back to the orphanage now."

"Okay."

Minerva paid for their food and the left the pub. They walked down the street back to the alley they landed in. Minerva made another portkey, this time an old boot, and told Harry to touch it. She activated it and they disappeared in the blink of an eye.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Here's the next chapter. I didn't intend for it to be as long but hey when I write I 's 16 pages long. Also to let all my readers know the poll will be closed by next chapter so please vote which house you want Harry to be in.

Hermione makes her debut in this chapter for all those who were waiting.

Hope you like it and please review. They help me improve myself and the story so please give me your input.

Without further ado here's the next chapter

**Spells used in the last chapter.**

_**Geminio **_is a spell that duplicates an object or an image. The name is possibly a reference to the constellation and third sign of the zodiac, Gemini - the Twins. The Latin word _Gemini_ also means "twins".

A **Memory Charm** is a spell used to erase some or all memories from an individual's mind. The incantation for this charm is _**Obliviate**_. It is different from the charm that creates false memories. Memory Charms are generally intended to erase a specific memory. The incantation _"obliviate"_ may be derived from the Latin _oblivisci_, meaning "forget".

_**Tempus Eximo Somnus**_is a spell used to cause a caster to let his intended victim to sleep for a specific amount of time. Incantation literally meaning Time Release Sleep.

**Spells used in this chapter.**

_**Incendio**_ is the incantation of a spell that conjures fire, or other magical flames.

_**Finite**_ stops all currently remaining spell effects that it targets. It is similar to _Finite Incantatem_, except it targets a specific object or creature rather than one's surroundings. **Finio** is Latin, meaning to settle, end, die, and cease.

_**Tarantallegra**_ is a jinx used to force another person's legs to begin dancing uncontrollably. This spell has its origins in Italy but is best remembered for its improper usage by warlock Zaccaria Innocenti who is credited with conjuring a 'dance' within Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. It is mainly used to make a victim do something hilarious, but it can be also be used in dueling.

The _Tarantella_ is a dance originating in Italy. It was believed to cure the effects of the bite of a Tarantula by causing the victim to sweat out the toxin. It wasn't until centuries later that scientists determined the Black Widow was actually the poisonous spider in question; people merely blamed the Tarantula because of its size _Allegra_ may be derived from _allegro_, a musical tempo meaning "quick and lively"; or simply from the word "leg" as this is the only body part affected by the jinx.

Floor guide found in OOTP chapter 22, pg. 485-486.

Chapter 8

_August 29, 1991_

_St. Mary's Orphanage_

The next month was one of the longest ones of Harry's life. He barely left his room except to eat and use the bathroom. The rest of the people at the orphanage were happy to see him go. It's not as if they didn't like him but to them he was a strange kid. He didn't really interact with the other children only if he had to and they saw him as a delinquent. Mrs. Ashford along with the rest of the staff was anxiously waiting the day when Harry would leave for boarding school.

Harry was unaware of the tense atmosphere surrounding him. Even if he was he wouldn't care about it. He spent all of his free time studying his textbooks. He found transfiguration, charms, and defence against the dark arts the most interesting. Potions, herbology, and astronomy he found would be the most complicated due to the many terms needed to memorize. History of Magic looked to be intriguing as well with its different wars between species. He wondered why they didn't teach the dark arts. After all magic is magic and it is the person not the art that makes it evil. It was the same thing with guns.

If you put a gun in the hands of a criminal it would most likely be used for nefarious purposes. The criminal could use it to rob a store or hold a person hostage. But if let's say a law abiding citizen had a permit for it and kept it in the house for protection for his family then how could a gun be seen as bad. It's just a tool and it is the person who at the end of the day is ultimately responsible.

He wondered if he would get in trouble for using magic. Dumbledore did say that they had their own government and he had to follow the rules if he didn't want to get expelled. Harry didn't particularly like rules since all they do is limit him but understood the necessity of it. In the book _The Laws of Magical Britain _it stated:

_The __**Improper Use of Magic Office**__ is responsible for investigating offenses under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy. They regulate an under-age wizard or witch's use of magic and prohibit wizards and witches from performing magic in the presence of Muggles or in a Muggle-inhabited area. An enchantment called "the Trace" is placed upon children and helps the department in detecting offences; it breaks at age 17._

If that was true then he should have gotten a warning years earlier because of all the magic he performed especially the ones in front of the muggles. Harry wondered why he didn't. Maybe it was due to the fact that he didn't have "the Trace" on him and wondered if it is placed when he goes to Hogwarts. It might even be placed on him already. At the last thought Harry fumed. He would be livid if that was the case. The only way he knew if they did was to do magic. He did and waited to see if the ministry would send someone to charge him. Nobody did which proved to Harry that he didn't have "the Trace" on him.

After that he read and practiced as much as he could. He managed to get through the first five chapters of each book and mastered the spells. He looked through his other books as well and found out more information about Voldemort and the war in _Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_. The only other book he read in depth was _A Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions _which listed so many different spells useful for dueling. He spent a lot of time mastering the spells as well as the counters and managed to get at least close to halfway through the book. He idly wondered if it was because he was so used to doing magic without a wand it made him easier to do stuff with a wand.

He practiced both with and without a wand and saw that while he could do spells with both it was easier with a wand. It gave him a degree of control that he didn't have before and made spell casting easier. He also found that while he did have better control with his wand he found that he used more power without his wand. He speculated that if he could master both wand-based magic and wand less magic he could theoretically do more magic and not be limited to one type. He didn't fancy losing his wand and being defenseless.

Harry found _Hogwarts_: _A History _to be another interesting book. He only read the part about the school which talked about the different houses. The house system seemed to be an easy way to classify people into groups.

_Gryffindor's values courage, daring, nerve and chivalry. Its mascot is the lion, and its colors are scarlet and gold. The house was founded after Godric Gryffindor._

_Slytherin house values ambition, cunning, and resourcefulness. The animal representing Slytherin is the serpent, and the house colours are green and silver. The book also suggests that the hunger for power is a characteristic of Slytherins like its founder Salazar Slytherin._

_Hufflepuff__, founded by Helga Hufflepuff, values hard work, loyalty, tolerance, and fair play. The house mascot is the badger and canary yellow and black are its colors._

_Ravenclaw's__ value intelligence, creativity, wit, and wisdom. __**"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure"**__is an oft-repeated Ravenclaw proverb. The house mascot is an eagle, the house colors are blue and bronze. Their founder was Rowena Ravenclaw._

His parents had been in Gryffindor and the Dark Lord Voldemort had been a Slytherin according to _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_. He didn't put much thought about what house he would be in. It didn't really matter to him. He doubted he'd be in Gryffindor though people might think that he should be due to his parents. He wasn't heroic or chivalrous. He looked out for himself and only himself. That seemed to him that was the Slytherin mindset. Though he did like learning so Ravenclaw might not be a bad fit. Hufflepuff was out due to him not being a fair player and only loyal to himself. He would use whatever he could to make sure he came out ahead.

He also agreed with a lot of Slytherin's view about muggles but at the same time found the idea that pure-bloods were not as grand as they thought they were. The blond boy at Madam Malkin's came to mind.

On the subject of his parents he didn't know what to think about them. Sure it was brave of them to stand up for what they believe in put they should have put him first and not their ideals. They _**knew **_that they were a high profile target and yet continued to fight. If they weren't going to stop fighting they never should have even tried for a child especially during war time. And look where it got them. Murdered. They died and he had to suffer for their decisions and being raised in this hell-hole.

Harry looked up from reading _An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe _at the clock which said it was 12:43 p.m_. _He was in the middle of reading all about Hogwarts and how it is ranked as the premier wizarding school of magical Europe. He realized he had to get ready and go to Kings Cross today for his orientation.

Professor McGonagall told him before she left that he had to be at Kings Cross Station by 1:30 sharp at Platform 9. It was an orientation for all the muggle-born and muggle-raised students so they would know how to get onto Platform 9 and 3/4's. Then they would all got to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries for their check-up to make sure that they are all physically fine. She said that they would only have to go there once and after that they would get their yearly check-up with the school nurse at Hogwarts until they graduated.

Harry marked his spot in the book and put it to the side. He would read more on the way to Kings Cross. He took a shower and was deciding what to wear, either his muggle or wizarding clothing. In the end he decided to put on his muggle clothes since it would avoid people looking at him weirdly if he wore his robes. He put on a pair of his new clothing which he just got charmed by Madam Malkin two days ago. She said the charms would only be good for at most seven months before they faded. It was the only other time he left his room other than to use the bathroom or cafeteria.

He put on a fresh pair of underwear and socks, dark blue jeans, and a white t-shirt saying **I'll try being nicer when you try being smarter. **He put on his dragon hide boots which changed to a solid black color. He grabbed his book bag and put _An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe _in it. He also put in_ Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century _figuring if he got bored with the other book he could read this one. He strapped his wand holster on his right arm and put his yew wand in it. He grabbed his gear and left heading to the station.

_

* * *

Kings Cross Station_

King's Cross Station is a major railway terminus opened in 1852. The station is located on the edge of Central London, on junction of the A501 Euston Road and York Way, in the King Cross district and within the London Borough of Camden on the border of the London Borough of Islington. King's Cross forms the southern terminus of the East Coast Main Line, one of the UK's major railway backbones.

It was already 1:30 by the time Harry reached King's Cross. He walked out of the train and into the bustling London terminal. Having never being in the station before he was understandably a bit lost. Travelling through the underground was nothing new to Harry but not to this particular station. He asked a conductor on the platform where platform nine was. He told him how to get there and Harry arrived less than five minutes later.

He saw Professor McGonagall there with a group of kids around her chatting with each other. She was once again in her pant suit but this time it was in black.

_Must be the other muggleborn's. _Harry thought idly.

"Afternoon Professor." Harry greeted.

"Afternoon." Professor McGonagall replied with a nod of her head at Harry to acknowledge his presence. She faced the assembled crowd of eleven year olds and started speaking after the last child showed up.

"For those of you who have forgot my name is Minerva McGonagall and I am the deputy headmistress as well as the transfiguration professor at Hogwarts where you will all be attending. You may address me as Professor McGonagall. Please follow me." Minerva said.

She started walking down the platform and stopped between platform 9 and 10. There was a brick wall separating the two platforms.

"You are here today to learn how to get onto platform 9 ¾'s. Like Diagon alley the platform is hidden from non-magical eyes. To reach the platform you have to pass through the wall behind me." Minerva continued lecturing.

The children all looked at her in disbelief.

"That's impossible. No one can walk through walls." Said a blond haired boy disbelievingly. There were murmurs of agreements coming from the other kids.

"I assure you Mr. Boot that I am not joking." Replied Minerva professionally. "Observe."

Minerva walked briskly towards the wall. She didn't slow down as she approached the wall and right when it looked like she would crash into the wall she disappeared. Less than a minute later she reappeared through the wall she just passed through.

"I trust you all believe me now." Minerva replied imperiously.

The group could only nod their heads in agreement speechless. Minerva then ordered them to try it themselves. She told them that the train wouldn't be there until the first but they could see the platform so they would know how to board it on the first. When Harry passed through the barrier he felt the same tingling feeling he had when he entered the Leaky Cauldron. This time though the feeling was not as strong as the feeling in the Leaky Cauldron but still noticeable.

After everyone passed back and forth through the barrier at least once they reemerged onto the platform.

"Professor? I was wondering why don't the muggle's notice when we go through the wall?" asked a girl with bushy hair and brown eyes. She had two large front teeth.

"There are many powerful wards and enchantments in place that make it impossible for muggles to see when a wizard passes through. These safety measures are only in place during the time when students get on the train and when they get off. We only open the barrier so that students will be able to get on the train. The rest of the year the wall is just that a wall." Minerva answered the girl.

"Any other questions?" Minerva asked. Seeing no one else had any questions she told them all to wait here while she checked to see if their transportation is ready to take them to St. Mungo's for their physicals.

As soon as Professor McGonagall left the kid named Boot started bragging to the others about how he's been practicing spells and can turn people invisible.

"I find that highly unlikely. Invisibility spells are notoriously difficult to do due to the complexity of it that only truly skilled wizards can do. You've only found out you're a wizard when you turned eleven. It's impossible for you to have mastered a spell before you started school that many wizards are unable to do. Either you are so uncommonly skilled or your lying which I think you are." Said the bushy haired girl in a bossy tone.

Boot's face colored at the telling off he was getting from the girl. He could see the other children laughing at him and could hear the other kids making fun of him.

Getting angry he shot back, "At least I'm not a buck-toothed know-it-all who's a pain in the neck."

The girl lowered her head slightly at the insult. Boot seeing this continued to taunt her. He was calling her names like "chipmunk" and "nerd" trying to save face. The other kids laughed along with him.

"I'd rather be a nerd than an idiot who can't even back up what he's saying. At least I don't have to lie about my skills." The girl shot back eyes blazing.

"Why you…" Boot growled out. He started to take a step towards her but before he could he came face to face or rather face to wand with a black haired green eyed boy.

"I'd think real carefully about what you're going to do next _**pal.**_" Harry said casually.

"My name is Terry Boot and I'm not your _**pal **_so you better get out of my way before I make you." Boot said angrily.

"Or what? You'll try to use your amazing wit on me like you did with the girl and lose again. Just stick with keeping your mouth shut and we won't have any problems. Got it?"

"You think you can do anything? I bet you're just all talk and no bark. I don't think you even know how to use that wand of yours." Terry said confidently. He took another step towards Harry who jabbed his wand harder under Boot's chin.

"Wanna bet?" Said Harry grinning threateningly. Harry withdrew his wand from Boot's chin but before he could make a nasty comment towards Harry he heard him say, "_Tarantallegra._"

Immediately Terry's legs started doing a crazy dance and he was unable to stop. The other kids looked on unsure as to laugh at Boot or to help him.

"STOP THIS NOW!"Yelled Boot frantically eyes wide.

"Why? I thought that you were practicing spells. Don't tell me you don't know how to stop a simple first year spell?" Harry said dramatically with his hands over his heart. He looked over Boot amusingly. The git was sweating all over and his face was red from the exertion as well as embarrassment.

_Oh well. Guess I'd better stop._

Harry raised his wand to cast the counter curse _Finite _but someone else did before he could. Harry turned to his side seeing Professor McGonagall rushing towards them with her wand out.

Arriving in front of the students she turned to Boot and made sure he was fine. Seeing him as fine as he could be at the moment she rounded on Harry.

"Mister Potter. Please explain why you felt it prudent to jinx one of your fellow classmates in full view of muggles with no regard at all." McGonagall spat out glaring at him barely holding in her temper.

Harry could see that she was really mad and absentmindedly thought that he would be on the receiving end of that glare a lot.

"I…ah….that is to say…" Harry said stumbling over his words buying time to think of an excuse. _To hell with it._

"Professor I was just trying to stop Boot here from insulting one of our classmates when he suddenly started verbally attacking me. I pulled out my wand for show so that he would stop but he continued to verbally offend me. He took a step towards me and fearing that he might physically attack me said the first spell that came to mind. I only meant to stop him and was about to cast the counter curse when you stepped in." Harry explained convincingly. It was the truth or at least enough of the truth to favor Harry.

"Mr. Boot. Is this true?' Professor McGonagall asked.

Terry was about to refute that claim when he caught Harry's eyes. Those eyes promised pain if he didn't agree and he was not eager to be on the receiving end of that.

"Yes Professor."

"Very well. Mr. Boot please refrain yourself from making comments like those again. Mister Potter, next time something like this occurs find an adult immediately and do not take action with your own hands. Understood?" She said sternly to the two boys.

They both nodded their heads in agreement. Harry not really agreeing with that but unwilling to tempt the professor's wrath kept silent.

"That goes for the rest of you as well." Minerva advised to the rest of the group. Everybody nodded in agreement.

"Good. Now come along. Our ride to the hospital awaits." Minerva said leading the students to an innocuous looking door. Pulling out her wand she tapped the knob on the door and it opened up. Walking in the group looked to be standing in an empty room with only a fireplace. As soon as the last student walked in the door shut behind them.

"Not to worry." Clearing her throat she began, "Now, we will be travelling to St. Mungo's using a common wizarding travel called floo powder. Floo powder is a glittery, silver powder used by witches and wizards to travel through the Floo Network. The Network connects most wizarding households and buildings. It is similar to the telephone but not only can you talk to others through the fireplace you can travel to another fireplace as long as it is connected to the floo network. This powder was invented in the 13th century by Ignatia Wildsmith. The powder turns a fireplace's flames harmless and emerald green. Observe."

McGonagall went to the fireplace and Harry could see on the side a pot that must be filled with the powder. She pointed her wand at the fireplace and said the phrase "_Incendio_". Immediately flames sprung from her wand and landed on the fireplace. She then took a handful of the powder in the pot and tossed it into the flames. The flames turned to an emerald green.

"It is tricky to use; one must toss a handful of powder into a fireplace connected to the Floo Network, walk into the flames, and state the desired destination loudly and clearly to ensure arrival in the proper location. Otherwise you might end up somewhere else if the destination is not said clearly and concisely. Most witches and wizards use this form of travel the most as it is the easiest and most convenient to use. Remember to say the phrase clearly. The phrase is St. Mungo's. Remember that. Now who's first?"

None of the children were eager to step into the fireplace. Minerva seeing this called Terry Boot to the front. He stepped up to the fireplace. He threw the powder into the fireplace watching it turn green. Professor McGonagall gave him an encouraging smile to him. Gulping, he stepped into the flames and shouted "St. Mungo's." He disappeared in a ball of fire.

The rest of the students looked on a bit terrified and Harry had to admit he was a little wary as well. McGonagall either not noticing or choosing to ignore the faces of the group said "Good. Next?"

_

* * *

St. Mungo's Hospital for magical Maladies and Injuries_

The group arrived at 's hospital after a dizzying ride through the network. Harry landed face first on the ground.

_Do all forms of wizarding travel have people falling down?_

Grumbling about mad methods of wizarding transportation he got up and dusted off the soot over his clothes. After doing a cursory inspection and making sure he had all of his stuff with him he looked at his surroundings.

It looked as if they were in the reception area. It didn't look to be too crowded but then again every hospital is never empty. There were rows of witches and wizards sitting on rickety wooden chairs. Some of the people looked normal and reading the usual out of date magazines found in the reception area. Other people had disfigurements over their body. Some people having animal paws instead of hands, or an extra leg attached to their body. There was one witch who was using a copy of a newspaper called the _Daily Prophet _to fan herself because she was sweating profusely.

There were witches and wizards in lime-green robes walking up and down the rows asking questions and making notes on their clipboards. Harry noticed that they had an emblem on their chests: a wand and a bone crossed.

"Follow me and stick close together." Professor McGonagall instructed. She led them to a desk in the front labeled **INQUIRES**. There was a wall behind her covered with notices and posters.

There was also a large portrait of an elderly witch with long silver ringlets labeled

DILYS DERWENT

ST. MUNGO'S HEALER 1722-1741

HEADMISTRESS OF HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

1741-1768

The amazing thing about the portrait was that it was moving. The witch in the portrait gave a little wave and a wink to the group as they approached. There was a sign on the side next to the desk that was the floor guide.

**_Artifact Accidents:……………………………………………………………………Ground Floor_**

**_(Cauldron explosions, wands backfiring, broom crashes, etc.)_**

**_Creature-Induced Injuries……………………………………………………First Floor_**

**_(Bites, stings, burns, embedded spines, etc.)_**

**_Magical Bugs and Diseases…………………………………..Second Floor_**

**_(Contagious maladies such as dragon pox, vanishing sickness, and scrofungulus, etc.)_**

**_Potions and Plant Poisoning………………………………..Third Floor_**

**_(Rashes, regurgitation, uncontrollable giggling, etc.)_**

**_Spell Damage……………………………………………………………..Fourth Floor_**

**_(Unliftable jinxes, hexes, incorrectly-applied charms, etc.)_**

_**Visitors' Tearoom and Hospital Shop………………..****Fifth Floor**_

_**If you are unsure where to go, incapable of normal speech, or unable to remember why you are here, our Welcome Witch will be pleased to help.**_

Professor McGonagall reached the front and told the plump blonde witch behind the desk that she was here for the muggleborn students check up. She raised her wand and something silver shot out of her wand. A minute later a witch came to the front wearing the lime green robes. She motioned the group to follow her.

They walked through a set of double doors and down a long hallway. There were more portraits on the walls and they were moving as well. More witches and wizards in lime-green robes passed in and out of different doors. They climbed a flight of stairs to the second floor and entered the "Magical Bugs" corridor. The second door to the right had the words LANCELOT WARD: PHYSICAL AND MAGICAL EXAMINATION. Underneath the card in a brass holder had the name written on it _Healer-in-Charge: Helbert Spleen, Trainee Healer: Lindsey Dobbs. _

They walked into a reception area smaller than the one they were just in. There were rows of benches lined against the wall. There was already an individual in there. It was a middle aged man with black hair streaked with gray. He had on the same lime green robes as the lady who brought them here.

"Good afternoon. My name is Helbert Spleen and I am the Healer-in-Charge of this ward. "The man named Helbert Spleen introduced himself.

"The witch who brought you here is the Trainee Healer, Lindsey Dobbs."

Lindsey was a kindly looking witch with red hair wearing a smile. She waved her hand at the acknowledgment.

"You are all brought here so that we can ascertain your health and to make sure nothing is wrong with any of you. We" pointing to himself and Healer Dobbs, "will examine you one by one. Please sit down on the benches and wait your turn." With that they walked out of the room being followed by two kids and Professor McGonagall.

The rest of the group grabbed a seat on the bench and sat down talking to the person next to them. Harry not wanting to interact with the others chose to sit on the bench farthest away from the group. He sat down and pulled out his copy of _Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century _and started reading not noticing that he was being approached by the girl he helped earlier.

* * *

Hermione Granger was confused. Whenever she had a problem she was always able to find the answer. . She didn't usually find herself in situations where she didn't know the answers. She was known as a "know-it-all" ,"braniac." "beaver face" to name a few. Other kids thought she was ashamed when she was called that but the truth was she was glad she had such a high level of intelligence. It made it easier for her to figure out a problem.

She was the only daughter of two dentists who had a successful dentistry business that they created from the ground up. She lived in the area of Strawberry Hill. Strawberry Hill is an affluent area of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in Twickenham. It is a suburban development situated 10.4 miles (16.7 km) west south-west of Charing Cross. Her parents, Daniel and Emily Granger, mainly catered to the well-off professionals that lived around the area.

She went to **The Lady Eleanor Holles School** (often abbreviated to LEH or LEHS) a selective, independent girls' school in Hampton, London, England, and was originally founded in 1711. According to the _Good Schools Guide_, it is "Deservedly one of the top girls' schools in the country". It also states that the school is "Highly sought-after for its academic delivery, celebration of female success, top of the range facilities and cream of the crop intake." There were many notable female's who graduated from there. Individuals such as journalist Anne Nightingale and biological scientist Barbara Pearse.

The other girls at the school didn't like her. Most of the girls who went there were from old families and were born rich. Since Hermione wasn't a member of the affluent upper society the other girls made fun of her. They made fun of her hair and her teeth. They constantly mocked her intellect whenever she answered a question in class and generally made life a living hell for her. It also didn't help that weird and unexplainable events happened around her. Due to all that Hermione then tended to spend most of her time alone reading.

Her parents didn't understand why she would rather spend all her time reading books instead of playing with the other girls. At first she told them the abuse that the other girls did but her parents would say that is just girls teasing each other. Eventually she stopped telling them and they thought that the name calling stopped. Her parents weren't bad people. They paid their taxes, went to church every Sunday, and were known as upstanding citizens of the community. They just didn't understand how hard it was for her. They spend most of their time building up their reputation and practice that they sometimes ignored their only daughter. They didn't mean to do it intentionally but they sometimes ignored her all the same. They were good people but they just didn't know how to raise a child so they treated her more as an adult than a child.

Her parents never had trouble making friends and couldn't understand why their only child could not do the same. They would give her whatever she wanted or needed and made sure she was never lacking in possessions. Despite all the possessions she had or could have Hermione was not a spoiled child. In fact she would go out of her way to try and help her fellow classmates as best as she can.

Though she tried to make friends the other children got annoyed with her bossy nature and started picking on her. She didn't mean to come off as a snob but she didn't know how else to communicate to kids her age.

Her whole life changed the day she turned eleven. When Professor McGonagall came to her house and told Hermione she was a witch she was ecstatic. She felt as if this was a chance at a new beginning for a better life and to maybe find a place where she belonged. Her parents were at first skeptical about all this and a little bit fearful but in the end they decided to let Hermione decide. She was so happy that she even did a little dance in front of her parents and the Professor.

She was understandably disappointed when she was told she would have to wait to go to Hogwarts until the next year. Since her birthday was on September 19th she missed the cut-off list by three weeks.

Instead she had to wait a whole year before she could go. She wasn't idle though. She managed to go to Diagon alley and purchased many different books about this new and exciting world. She couldn't get a wand and practice magic until next summer when she accepted to go to school.

For the next year she read as much as possible and learned about the different aspects of the magical world while at the same time doing all of her current muggle schoolwork. It felt like ages and eventually the time came for her to get ready for Hogwarts approached.

She got her supplies and eagerly awaited the day she would board the train and learn alongside others her age. She hoped that maybe she would be surrounded by people who like her loved to learn. When she went to the orientation for all muggleborn students she was a bit nervous. She wanted the others to know she was smart and asked Professor McGonagall the question about the barrier so she could show off her knowledge but was unable to due to the Professor's detailed explanation. She wanted to talk to the other children and when she heard the boy named Terry Boot brag about his skills she had to act. She didn't like it when others purposely tried to make themselves look better by lying.

She had hoped that her explanation would deflate the boy's head and also to show off her knowledge. It didn't work out the way she planned since Boot started making fun of her and mocked her. She shot back and called him a liar and that was when he started to walk towards her. She didn't have much experience interacting with boys her age due to her school being an all girl's school. Her only encounters with boys were seeing them wrestling with each other or some other type of physical activity. It was then reasonable that she would be scared that he was going to physically attack her.

Before Terry could get close to her the black haired boy who came last stepped up and defended her. HER! Hermione Granger. The girl who was always picked on and who had no friends. She saw as he taunted Terry and complimented her wit and when she saw him use his wand she was impressed that he could already use magic. She only did a few simple spells that was more on the side as basic but the boy was able to do a spell that affected another person.

She went from impressed to scared when Professor McGonagall came back and looked angry. She wanted to say something in the boy's defense but didn't know what. She saw as the boy told the professor pretty much the whole truth while making himself look like the good guy. She noticed how he didn't mention the taunting he gave Terry and how Terry quickly agreed with the explanation not wanting to incur the other boy's wrath.

She didn't get a chance to talk to him with all the commotion. She saw as the group waited that nobody else was sitting next to him. She watched as the other kids scooted away from him as if he was something nasty.

Hermione figured that she would never get a better time to talk to him than now. She took a deep breath in and approached her black haired savior.

"Can I sit here?

* * *

"Can I sit here?"

Harry looked up from his book and saw the girl from earlier standing in front of him looking him in the eye.

Shrugging his shoulders he moved his bag from the seat next to him and placed it on the floor. Immediately the spot that was holding his bag earlier was now occupied by the girl.

"You could have gotten into a lot of trouble for what you did." The girl said pretentiously.

Harry raised his eyes from the book and looked at the girl giving her an "Are-You-Serious" look.

"Well then the next time it looks like you're in trouble I'll make sure not to interfere." Harry replied sarcastically. He went back to reading his book.

Blushing, she replied, "I didn't mean it like that. I only meant that you didn't have to do that for me. It was a nice gesture and all but you don't have to intervene on my behalf. I don't want to be the cause of you getting in trouble and oh I've realized I haven't introduced myself. I'm Hermione Granger and you are?"

Harry could only stare in astonishment at the girl in front of him. She managed to say all that in one breath which he privately admitted was quite a feat. He locked eyes with her and looked into her mind wondering why she approached him. He was surprised to feel a good sized well of power emanating from her. Her mind was very organized and she had some barriers in place. They weren't strong enough to keep him out and if he wanted to he felt he could get by them quite easily. It seemed that he was the first person to ever defend her from bullies and she wondered why. Shaking his head mentally at the thought he withdrew from her mind. Seeing her hand outstretched he took it.

"Nice to meet you Hermione. I'm Harry. Harry Potter." Harry introduced himself. He figured he might as well get to know the girl a bit since they are going to be in the same class for the next seven years.

"Nice to meet you too Harry." Hermione replied. She thought that name seemed familiar and wondered where she heard it before. Mentally shrugging the thought to the side she'd look into it later.

"So what are you reading?" Hermione asked curiously. She was an avid reader and a big fan of books,

"_Great wizards of the Twentieth Century._ It's very interesting." Harry answered back. He decided to put his book away sensing that the girl Hermione wanted to talk with him.

"I've read that before. It is a very fascinating read about all the different famous magical wizards and witches. Albus Dumbledore, our headmaster, is mentioned there." Hermione replied.

"I know. He's the one who came to give me my letter." Harry said leaning back on the bench getting comfortable.

"Really? Professor McGonagall was the one who came to my house." Hermione answered back thoughtfully.

"It probably had to do with me being raised in an orphanage. Dumbledore knew my parents before they died and figured he should be the one to tell me."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Hermione said meaning it. She sometimes felt as if her parents were never there when she needed them but to have parents that are dead must be terrible.

"It's okay." Harry said waving his hand. "I never really knew them so no harm. Can't miss what you don't know right?"

"I guess."

"Anyway, tell me about yourself."

"Why?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"I figure that were going to be classmates for the next seven years so it might not be a bad idea to get to know one another." Harry retorted.

Hermione agreed and started talking about her parents and her school. She talked about the different books she read and what she liked about them. She saw Harry listening attentively to her which gave her warm feeling in her chest. She could see that he was interested by her with the different types of questions he asked. They talked about their respective experience with magic as well.

Harry contributed to the conversation by talking about the orphanage and his school as well. He also talked about the unexplainable "incidents" that happened whenever they used magic. He found Hermione to be a good conversationalist and actually enjoyed talking with her. Despite her somewhat bossy nature she was okay. Harry didn't know if they would continue to be friends as soon as school started but wouldn't be opposed to the idea.

The Healer's came back and forth to the room calling the students. The ones who finished were taken home by Professor McGonagall with the aid of a portkey. Harry and Hermione continued to talk until eventually it was their turn.

The healer took each of them to a separate room. The Healer-in-Charge: Helbert Spleen came in and told Harry to strip down into his underwear. Healer Spleen said that Headmaster Dumbledore wrote to him telling him that Harry Potter was alive. He thanked Harry profusely for what happened to You-Know-Who.

After Healer Spleen thanked Harry and his parents following the ten minute thank you speech he told Harry that his exam would be a bit more detailed than the others. The reason being that they wanted to make sure there was nothing wrong with him and that he wouldn't have any problems that would be caused by what happened that Halloween night ten years ago. He then waved his wand over Harry muttering phrases that were being recorded by a quill that was writing by itself.

Healer Spleen checked his physical condition as well as his magical core. He did a full check up that included checking his internal as well as external body. Unbeknownst to Harry, Healer Spleen also did a check up on his soul as well since Dumbledore asked him to, like he would ever say no to Albus Dumbledore.

The whole exam took about an hour to do and by the time Harry was done Hermione had already left. Sighing, Harry resigned himself to having to talk to her on the train the first of September. He grabbed his book bag and Professor McGonagall took him back to the orphanage.

_

* * *

September 1st_

Finally the day he was waiting for arrived. Harry woke up around 8:30 in the morning. He took care of his usual morning routine. By the time he was showered and fresh it was 9:00. He had packed his trunk last night with all of the things he was going to take. He checked his room one last time before he left it. He reached the door and opened it but before he left he took one last look at the room. All of his belongings that he kept were in the trunk and the stuff he wasn't going to take he left it figuring that whoever got the room next could do whatever they wanted with it. He was extremely happy to leave this place. He hoped he would never have to come back here again. He left the room closing the door behind him that signaled the end of a chapter of his life and the beginning of a new one.

He met Mrs. Ashford in the main foyer. She was accompanied by her staff as well as the kids in the orphanage. They were happy to see him go almost as happy as Harry was to leave this dump. A taxi was waiting outside to take harry to Kings cross station.

He reached Kings Cross by 10:00. It took so long due to the traffic but not even that could dampen Harry's mood. He got a trolley for his trunk and walked into the station. He pushed his trolley along towards the barrier in between Platform 9 and 10. When Harry was close enough to the barrier he took off at a dead run. He passed through the barrier and emerged on the other side of the barrier.

This time instead of the platform being almost empty it was filled with wizards and witches sending off their kids. Harry looked in front of him at the train. Only one thought was going through his mind.

_Everything is going to change._

Harry had no idea how right he was._  
_


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy. The poll I posted will be closed by the next chapter update. So please vote which house you think Harry should be in. **

**Spells used in this chapter:**

**Locomotor** is a charm which enchants an object or creature, causing them to ascend into the air and travel floating where the spell caster wishes. To use this charm, you must first say the incantation, and then whatever it is that you are trying to move, for example, "Locomotor Trunk". Loco" is Latin for "place". "Moto" is Latin for "to move".

The sorting hat's song can be found in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Chapter 9

_Kings Cross Station_

_September 1st, 1991  
_

Kings Cross Station was crowded with people. Men and women in suits taking the underground to get to work, families going to and from their destinations, station employee's helping lost tourists at the terminal find their train. There was a boy and a girl leaning on the side of the wall kissing and whispering sweet nothings in each other's ears.

Harry observed all this while eating his food. He was sitting on one of the benches in the station having bought some food from the café located next to the underground. He wasn't sure how long it would be before he arrived at Hogwarts and not knowing if some type of meal would be given on the train ride decided to get something to eat.

After putting his trunk in the rear compartment of the train Harry realized he had plenty of time left. The train wouldn't leave before eleven which gave him a little over thirty minutes to get some food and come back. He remembered seeing a stand in the lobby of the terminal selling food.

Finding the stand he bought a bagel with butter on it and some orange juice. He sat down on one of the benches near the stand and started eating while watching people pass by.

Finishing his breakfast he looked at the clock which showed him the time at 10:43. Realizing he had less than twenty minutes to get back to the train before it left he threw away his now empty bag and drink in the garbage and started walking back.

Walking down the crowded platform Harry was weaving through the multitude of people making his way back to the train. No sooner had he passed through a particularly packed group full of people did he collide with someone.

"Sorry." Harry automatically said. The phrase being said more out of reflex than for any actual meaning.

"Watch wear your going." The person answered back rudely. It was actually a red haired boy his age that ran into him. He had a smattering of freckles across his face and was wearing clothing that was obviously a hand me down. He had an expression of annoyance on his face.

Harry looked at the red head with an eyebrow raised. Before he could say anything two identical older looking boys came up from behind the redhead and grabbed him by the shoulders and pinning him between them.

"So sorry about that." Said the twin on to his right.

"It seems our dear younger brother still hasn't learned how not to put his foot in his mouth." continued the twin to his left.

"Geroff mmph…" The redhead between the twins tried to say before one of the twins covered his mouth with his hand.

"Fred, George you let Ron go this _instant._" Said a feminine voice shrilly. The newcomer was a short plump woman with the same shade of red hair that the three boys had.

_Must be their mother._

She was followed by another red haired boy who looked older than the other three and a small girl who had red hair and brown eyes.

_How many of them are there?_ Harry thought looking around to see if anymore red heads were going to pop out.

The twins now known as Fred and George complied with the request and the younger boy between them stumbled a little before regaining his balance.

"Leave that poor boy alone." Said the red haired woman. She spared a quick glance at Harry before dismissing him from her mind. "Hurry up now. The train is about to leave and I don't want any of you to miss it."

The family of redheads walked off leaving Harry standing there alone.

_That was weird. _

Shaking off that thought he looked at the clock which now said 10:50. Realizing he had only ten minutes left he ran towards the portal that would take him to platform 9 ¾'s. He passed through the barrier and came out on the other side. He thought he saw a flash of red in front of him and thought for a moment that it was the family he saw minutes ago but there were too many people on the platform for Harry to get a good look so he dismissed the errant thought. He reached the train and got on with a minute to spare.

Looking back at the platform he saw parents hugging their children and giving their goodbyes. Harry felt a brief pang of jealousy at the sight. It reminded him that he was alone and nobody cared about him.

Turning away from the sight he ruthlessly suppressed the emotions that were beginning to overtake him.

"All aboard!"

The voice of the conductor shook Harry from his thoughts. The train started moving and in a couple of minutes pulled out of the station. The scenery outside changed from the platform into the wilderness.

Harry started walking back to his compartment. Right before he entered his compartment he heard his name being called.

"Harry."

It was Hermione who called him dragging her trunk with her. She was breathing a little hard from having to pull her trunk. He entered the compartment with her and helped put her trunk on the rack.

"I've been looking all over for you." Hermione said sitting down.

"Have you now?" Harry asked leaning back.

"Yes and I have a few questions for you."

"And they are…?"

"Is your name really Harry Potter?" Hermione started off.

Of all the questions he wondered why she would ask that. "Yes?" It came out more as a question than a fact.

Seeing his confusion she clarified. "It's just that your name was familiar and I wondered where I heard it before. I remembered reading it somewhere and looked through my books. It was in _Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts _and_ Modern Magical History _that I found the answer."

Leaning forward she looked straight into his eyes and said, "You're the son of James and Lily Potter and your family is the one who defeated You-Know-Who which earned your family the name as the Family-Who-Conquered."

"And how did you come to this conclusion?"Harry replied coolly. Inside though he was wondering how she knew.

"Firstly, the Potters had a child and he was one years old when they were attacked. His body was never found so if he was alive he would have received his letter when he turned eleven and would be the same age we are. Secondly, you yourself said that your parents died and that the Headmaster knew them. The Potters were known to be close to him. I asked Professor McGonagall if the headmaster usually fetches incoming students and she said only if the situation called for it but that it was rare that such a situation would come up. So…"

"When did you ask her that?" Harry interrupted listening closely.

"After the Healer was done." She answered back without missing a beat. "So anyway I first thought that this could all be one big coincidence but then again I don't believe in coincidences and the information fits together too perfectly to be anything other than fact."

"What makes you so sure that this whole thing isn't one big coincidence?" Harry asked warily. "I can see that it makes sense if you put it like that but all you have is speculation." Picking up some steam he added, "Yea it sounds good in theory but that's all it is. A theory. Do you have any solid evidence that proves your theory?"

"As a matter of fact I do."Hermione replied back smirking.

After a minute of sitting there Harry said, "Well what is it?"

"It's right above you." She answered back pointing above him. Harry looked above him but all he saw was his trunk.

"How is my trunk your proof?" Harry asked confused.

"Not your trunk. It's the image on it that's the proof." Responded Hermione rolling her eyes.

Harry looked back at his trunk and seeing the image of his family crest gave him the answer. Stunned he turned back to Hermione and said only one word. "How?"

"Only family members are allowed to have crests placed on their belongings to show who it belongs to. If a person who is not a part of the family did that they would be arrested for fraud and either pay a fine or go to jail depending on the charge." Standing up she went to her trunk and pulled out a book called _Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy. _Hermione flipped through the book looking for something. Finding it she turned the book over to Harry to show him. The title on the page said _**The Potter Family **_and had the picture of a griffin. The same image that was located on Harry's trunk.

Harry silently handed back the book and leaned back in his seat. He watched as Hermione put the book back in her trunk and sat down staring at him waiting to see his reaction. Harry didn't have to look into her mind to know she was anxiously waiting to see his response.

Neither person talked for the next ten minutes. The only sounds coming from the train speeding along the track. One was waiting for the other person's answer while the other just digested all that he heard.

It was Harry who broke the silence first.

"I'm impressed. You were able to figure all that with the information you had. Pretty resourceful of you."

Hermione beamed at Harry with a grin and Harry admitted to himself that it was impressive. Not many people would have made the connection. After all everyone believed that Harry Potter died along with his parents and if anybody commented on his name he could just say that it was coincidence.

"I guess the question is what are you going to do with the information?" Harry carefully asked.

"Nothing really." Hermione replied shrugging. "I'm sure you have your reasons for wanting everyone to think your dead though I don't know why."

"That's because everyone thought I _was_ dead."Harry replied bluntly.

Seeing Hermione's eyes widen from that little tidbit he continued, "From what I was told my house was pretty much destroyed by the time the authorities got there. Nobody is really sure how I survived but they all knew I was there on Halloween."

"So how did you end up at the orphanage then?" Hermione questioned.

"No idea but the most common theory is that I was found by someone before the authorities got there and they put me in the orphanage. I do wonder why they put me in a muggle orphanage and not a wizarding one."

"Interesting." Was the reply Harry received.

He didn't press her for more information preferring to leave Hermione in her peace though it got him thinking about the situation. If Hermione, a muggle-born was able to figure it out how soon would it be before other people would as well? Should he announce that Harry Potter is alive and well? Granted it's not like he was trying to hide his identity but he wasn't shouting it from the rooftops as well.

He eventually decided that he wouldn't advertise it but if a person did find out he wouldn't deny it either. Happy to come to a solution he pulled out _Hogwarts: A History _from his trunk and started to read it hoping Hermione would get the hint that he didn't want to talk anymore. Thankfully she did and she pulled out her own book and started to read as well.

They continued to read in silence only pausing when a witch with a trolley came asking if they would like to buy sweets. Hermione declined but Harry never tasting it before bought a couple of different selections.

"That'll be eleven sickles and five knuts." The woman said after counting the total. He paid for it and she left.

Harry ate his sweets while continuing to read, the chocolate frogs and the pumpkin pastries tasting the best. He also found a card in his chocolate frog's container and saw the name Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody. The man named Moody looked as though his face was carved from wood by an untalented person. It was covered with scars, and a chunk of his nose was missing. He had dark gray, grizzled hair. His eyes, however, were his most shocking feature: one was small and dark, normal eye while the other was a vivid, electric blue magical eye and moved around independently from his normal eye. His eccentric eyes gave him the nickname of "Mad-eye Moody."

_Alastor Moody was known as the most powerful Auror of his time before injuries forced him to retire. He had mastery in both offensive and defensive magic, the hallmarks of the Auror's trade, which he employed so effectively that he personally ensured that half the cells of Azkaban prison were filled with Death Eaters. He was also capable of placing powerful protective enchantments and curses a means of warding off Death Eaters. He also had a Charms Mastery. It also stated he was capable of performing the Disillusionment charm, a charm which apparently required a certain amount of skill as not many could do so. He also has a mastery dueling and is considered by many to be extremely talented._

Harry finished reading the card and was impressed. He looked back at his picture and saw he was gone.

There was a knock on the door and a round faced boy entered. He was slightly pudgy but not too fat.

"Have you seen a toad? I lost mine." The boy asked without preamble.

He got negative responses from both.

"Do you want some help looking for him?" asked Hermione offering her help.

"That'd be great. Thanks. Oh I'm Neville." He introduced himself as.

"I'm Hermione and this is Harry." Hermione replied pointing to Harry when she said his name.

"Are you coming?"Hermione asked seeing Harry was still sitting down reading.

"No." Was Harry's reply still reading his charms textbook. Hermione seeing he wasn't going to help left with Neville in a huff.

Hermione came back an hour later having no luck finding Neville's toad. She glared at Harry as if it was his fault the toad was gone. Honestly, why would he waste his time trying to find a toad on a locomotive the length of a cricket field.

The rest of the train ride continued in silence. By the time they reached the station Harry and Hermione had already changed into their school robes. The joined the rest of the students at disembarking the rain.

* * *

_Hogsmeade Station_

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" a man bellowed. He was large, easily the largest man they had ever seen and he was hairy. He was about twice as tall as an average man and five times as wide, and he had a long mane of shaggy black hair and a beard that covers most of his face. He has light skin and dark eyes that glint like black beetles. He was wearing an exceptionally large moleskin overcoat with many pockets.

Harry, Hermione, and the other first years followed the man as he rounded the corner. The reached the edge of the lake and saw rowboats lined up along the shore. The large man motioned to the rowboats along the shore of the lake.

"Four to a boat!" He instructed

Harry, Hermione, the boy named Neville and a boy with red hair climbed into one boat which began to magically move as soon as they were seated. Travelling through the water the made a turn around the bend and got their first view of Hogwarts.

It was breathtaking. There was no other word for it. The castle was on top of a mountain overlooking the lake looking imposing yet majestic.

When everyone had reached the shore, the large man shouted once more for them to follow him. He led them to a large wooden door where he raised his burly hand and knocked on the door three times. A stern-faced woman, who Harry immediately recognized as Professor McGonagall opened the door and without glancing to the students gathered, nodded at the man.

"This way, first years," she said. When the last student passed through the doors behind them closed with a resounding thud.

"Remain here. I will fetch you when it is time for you to be sorted."

The students waited several minutes before she came back. During that time Harry looked around at the other students. He was standing next to Hermione with the boy-Neville-standing near them talking with a red haired boy who sat with them on the boat ride. Harry recognized him as the boy who he ran into earlier-Rob, Ray Roy- or whatever his name was. He heard the redhead saying that they had to fight trolls as the test to see which house they got into.

Harry mentally snorted at that. Not entirely certain what trolls in the wizarding world were but was positive that any test they would have to take wouldn't include physical injury.

He also saw the blond boy he met at Madam Malkin's talking with two large boys and a few other witches and wizards. The blond boy felt as if he was being watched and raised his head. He saw Harry looking at him and sneered. He looked as if he was about to walk to Harry but before he made more than two steps Professor McGonagall returned.

"I am Professor McGonagall," she began once everyone had quieted down. "I am the Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration professor here at Hogwarts. I welcome each and every one of you. Now, before you are sorted there are a few things you need to know. Hogwarts has a house system. There are four houses and each house is named after one of the four founders. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Each house has its own history which you will come to learn throughout your schooling. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because during your tenure here your House will be similar to your family within Hogwarts. You will share the same classes, sleep in the same dormitories, and spend free time in your house common room. You will be rewarded if you follow the rules and similarly punished by the receiving and detraction of house points if you don't. The house with the most points at the end of the year receives the House Cup. Now, if you would follow me we can begin."

Harry followed the professor into the Great Hall. It was an amazing sight to behold. A vast chamber with an enchanted ceiling that mirrors the sky outside, four long tables filled with students for the four houses. The teachers were placed at the High Table, a table on a raised platform at the front of the room.

"I read in _Hogwarts: A History _that the ceiling is bewitched to look like the night sky," commented Hermione as she stared above them. The hall itself was lit up with hundreds upon hundreds of candles floating in midair.

In front of the table there was a stool and on that stool sat an old shabby looking hat.

Professor McGonagall led the student's right up to the hat. The hall quieting down the minute the new students walked in. A moment later, the hat which before was unmoving opened its mouth—_it had a mouth_---and began to sing a song.

_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.  
You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can top them all.  
There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be.  
You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
If you've a steady mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;  
Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folk use any means  
To achieve their ends.  
So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!_

There was silence for a moment before the hall broke into applause.

"When I call your name please step up and place the hat on your head." Professor McGonagall instructed. Thus the sorting began. Name after name was being called and sorted into a house. Whenever a student as sorted that house would clap the loudest. Terry Boot, Harry noted went to Ravenclaw.

"Granger. Hermione."

Hermione nervously went up and put the hat on. It seemed that she was having a debate with the hat. Eventually the hat shouted "Gryffindor" and she joined their table.

After Hermione the sorting continued in the same vein as before.

"Malfoy, Draco." It was the name of the blond kid he met at Madam Malkin's. Unlike Hermione's sorting which took some time the hat barely touched Malfoy's head before shouting, "Slytherin." He sauntered over to the Slytherin table as if he knew all along where he was going.

Eventually it was Harry's turn. "Potter, Harry."

The students in the hall were suddenly talking in hushed whispers the minute his name was called. Everybody knew the Potter name and were wondering who he was. It was common knowledge that the Potter line ended Halloween night. Even the professors took a closer look at him from their table.

Harry ignored the whispering and staring and made his way to the stool. He placed the hat on his head and felt a brush against his mind.

_Most intriguing that a child so young is able to use the mind arts. Intriguing indeed. What's this? Hmm. Fascinating. I should say welcome back Mister Potter but it seems you wouldn't have any idea what I'm talking about._

What are you talking about? Harry asked.

_There is a block that is placed on you. I can see through it and I see what it is. . I see what you have done and what you need to do but it will not be enough. _

A block? What does that mean?

_It is a barrier placed so that you cannot access what is beyond it. I can understand the need for it at that time but if you are going to succeed in your endeavor you will need what lies within._

Endeavor? Need? I don't have a bloody clue what the hell your saying. Just sort me already and be done with it. Shot back Harry aggravated.

_As you wish but do you not wish to know the answers to the questions you seek? Like how you ended up in the orphanage? Why were you placed there? It is all here and I only need your approval to show you the answers you desperately want. If not I will not bring it up again and will sort you. But know this is only a one time offer I give young Potter. You are destined for great things but only if you accept it. If you refuse you may still achieve great things but it will be so much harder for you or you may not. Choose now for time is running out. _

Harry didn't know what to think. All he wanted was to get sorted and start learning to do magic. Instead he's told that he has a block on him and if he doesn't have it removed it'll restrict him. Also the answers to his questions are already in him and he has to decide now.

_Your answer?_

Harry thought his options over but he realized that there was really only one choice to make. He hoped that it wouldn't bite him in the ass. Do it.

_Very well. I apologize in advance for what is about to happen._

Before Harry could ask why the hat would be apologizing he felt a white-hot searing pain envelop him. He never felt anything as painful as this before. He was unable to stop the cry of pain erupting from his lips. Thoughts and feelings passed through his mind, images that he has never seen before flash through and the pain increases. As fast as the pain surrounded him it abruptly stopped and Harry thankfully passed into unconsciousness.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore always loved the welcome feast at Hogwarts. It always brought with it a sense of anticipation and excitement for the new school year. This year was especially thrilling due to one of the new students. Harry Potter was coming to Hogwarts. He wondered which house young Potter would go to. He didn't know enough about the boy to give a guess but feverently hoped it wouldn't be Slytherin. Tom Riddle was in Slytherin and what he saw of young Harry's behavior reminded him entirely too much of Tom. But it wasn't his decision to make and could only hope the sorting hat would place him in a house that would be more beneficial to the wizarding world than just for Mister Potter himself.

He saw Professor McGonagall lead the new students through the great hall. He saw as young Neville, his unofficial apprentice was sorted into Gryffindor and clapped with the rest. He wondered if he should continue to train Neville now that Harry was found but he still had no idea which child the prophecy spoke of.

He continued to ponder the thought before he heard the name of the person he was most interested in seeing sorted. He watched Harry Potter as he reached for the hat. He waited with bated breath to see which house he would belong to so he could make plans that would work best.

His look turned from interesting to confused when he felt a huge build up of magic gather together where young Harry was sitting. His look quickly went to horrifying as he heard Harry scream in pain. He immediately vacated his seat and rushed to Harry with a speed belying his age. The minute he reached him though the screams stopped and Harry was unconscious.

Poppy Pomfrey, the school nurse was right behind him waving her wand and casting medical charms on Harry.

"Headmaster he is fine now but whatever happened caused him a great deal of pain. I need to take him to the hospital wing to make sure nothing else happens." She diagnosed.

"Very well. Severus go with Poppy and see if she needs your expertise." Poppy waved her wand and said, "_Locomotor Harry Potter." _ Harry was levitated off the ground. Madam Pomfrey held her wand in front of her and started walking. Harry was in front of her being pushed like he was on an invisible stretcher with Severus following.

Dumbledore then turned to face the rest of the students who stared horrified at what happened.

_Can't say the year started off boring. _He thought nonchalantly.

* * *

_Headmaster's Offfice_

After assuring the students that everything is under control and assuring the rest of the first years that the hat was harmless though nobody believed him they continued the sorting. He didn't give the opening feast with his usual exuberance with his mind preoccupied with the health of Harry.

As soon as the feast finished he went up to the hospital wing to check on the status of one Harry Potter. When he received the report he was flabbergasted at what he heard. It seemed that whatever occurred caused Harry to have more magic then normal running throughout his whole body.

The human body especially a wizard's body can only have a certain amount of magic circulating otherwise it would overload the body and cause the person's organs to shut down. In cases similar to this that have occurred every single witch or wizard died only after an excruciating amount of pain. Harry Potter it seemed was the exception. His body had too much magic in him so his body had to either adapt to it or it would die. His body adapted and it seemed that his body aided by the magic within had created more magical pathways.

Not only had that occurred it also seemed that his body aged as well by a full year to compensate for the increase in pathways. Normally it wouldn't cause problems in the short term but in the long run it would mean that if he lived to an old age and died of natural causes it would be a year earlier than he was supposed to.

As for his body it seemed to be in peak physical condition for a twelve year old. His senses are the sharpest they would ever be and as he aged the senses would increase as well. It would not be a noticeable increase but it would be as well as a human being's senses would ever become.

The extra magic in his body might have even awakened some dormant magical gift past Potter's might have had. Bloodlines actually have some role in a wizard's power but if a witch or wizard did not train their power to its full extent then they could never reach their full potential.

After reading the report a shocked Dumbledore went back to his office to contemplate this new development. He tried asking the sorting hat what happened but the hat was stubbornly tight lipped about all of it. He said that he could not tell the secrets in the boy's head due to the many charms and enchantments placed on it. It was to insure future generations could not steal the information inside of their heads. It was a failsafe so that heirs from families who studied in their family magic's could not accidently give their techniques away.

Needless to say Dumbledore was not pleased by this.

The tests done when he went to St. Mungo's didn't reveal anything as well. There was no trace of any foreign influence in Harry Potter at all. All the tests, physical exam, magical potency, magical core, soul exam came up clean. The only noteworthy thing was that Harry Potter had an above average magical core for an eleven year old. It was more on the level of a third year student and would continue to grow as he got older.

Sighing, he got up and went over to cabinet located on the right side of his office. He opened it and pulled out a device called a pensieve. A pensieve is an object used to review memories. It has the appearance of a shallow stone basin, into which are carved runes and strange symbols. It is filled with a silvery substance that appears to be a cloud-like liquid/gas; the collected memories of people who have siphoned their recollections into it. Memories can then be viewed from a third-person point of view.

He took out his wand and placed the tip of it at his temple. Concentrating on the memory he wanted to take out he pulled his wand away from his temple. A silvery, shimmering liquid like strand was on the tip of his wand. Placing the strand in the pensieve he viewed the memory.

The memory was a recent one. It involved four people. One was himself, the second his potion professor, Severus Snape and the last two were muggles. The muggles in question were Vernon and Petunia Dursley.

He watched as Petunia Dursley nee Evans, the sister of the late Lily Potter, recognized Severus Snape as her former neighbor. She insulted them both about being freaks until Severus pulled out his wand and was about to curse her. He watched as he saw his memory self put a restraining hand on Severus and turned to Petunia's paling face.

He then watched as he saw his memory self ask them questions about Harry Potter. They listened as Vernon and Petunia explained after being suitably _reminded _that they had no choice but to answer the questions asked otherwise they would not like the consequences. Dumbledore never liked using threats and force but sometimes he had to admit it did get the job done.

He listened as they explained hearing an extremely loud popping noise coming from their living room. Vernon, with a cricket bat, walked down the stairs thinking it was a robber while Petunia rushed towards their son, Dudley's room, to make sure he was safe. Vernon then described that he saw a baby in the middle of their living room.

He then called down his wife and together they approached the baby. He had a cut on his forehead and it seemed to be bleeding. Petunia then cleaned the blood of his head and saw that the cut was in the shape of a lightning bolt. The cut was glowing a little and seemed to be pulsing to an unknown rhythm.

Petunia recognized him as the son of that Potter freak and his equally freakish wife. She recognized the crest that was on his blanket having seen it years ago at her sister's wedding. She remembered the baby's name being written in a letter Lily had sent as Harry James Potter. They explained that they had no idea how the little devil got there but there was no way in hell they were going to take care of a freak. Dumbledore listened as he heard Vernon say that he was all for killing the freak then and there but Petunia stopped him.

Albus paid attention as he heard Petunia say that they couldn't kill him otherwise it could cause problems. Vernon then said that he was not going to keep an abnormal child in the house and suggested an orphanage. Petunia agreed and Vernon dropped him off at the Surrey orphanage.

Vernon told the caretaker at the orphanage that the baby was dropped off at his doorstep and told him he didn't want any responsibility for it. He gave him to the caretaker only telling him the baby's name and after signing some documents that absolved him of any accountability he left and that was it.

After that Dumbledore and Snape left but not before _obliviating _the conversation from the muggles mind.

Albus withdrew himself from the memory and paced back and forth in his office. He prided himself on being able to get whatever information he needed whenever he needed it and hated not knowing what was going on. Especially circumstances that forced him to change plans completely.

Looking over at his phoenix companion, Fawkes, Dumbledore asked, "I wish I knew what was going on. If he is truly the prophesized one is this turn of events helpful for the light or the dark?"

A trill was the only response he received.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: Here's the next chapter. Sorry been busy with finals so the chapter's a little shorter than the others. So enjoy.

Chapter 10

_Unknown Location_

He lay face down not moving an inch. There was no real reason to why he did not move. He could if he wanted to quite easily. The pain that he had felt before was no longer present. In fact it was as if he was never in any pain at all.

Harry continued to lay there content with the current situation. He was alone in this place. How he knew this he wasn't sure but he knew it was true. He realized that he would eventually at one point have to get up but he was quite willing to wait as long as possible before he moved.

"I see that you have reacquainted yourself with the floor." Said an amused voice.

Harry raised his head and saw an old man with shocking bright white hair and electric blue eyes. For a moment Harry thought he was looking into the eyes of Albus Dumbledore but a closer inspection showed that while he did bare a resemblance to the headmaster that was were the similarities end. His nose was not crooked and he did not wear glasses.

"You're that judge guy from the trial right?" Harry asked.

"Yes I am." He answered a moment later.

Standing up Harry realized that he no longer had the body of an eleven year old but that of a seventeen year old.

Actually he realized he _**did **_have the body of an eleven year old but at the same time he had the body of a seventeen year old. Looking at the eleven year old attached to him Harry saw that he had his eyes open as well and was looking around. It reminded him of the time he saw the spectral image of himself and Hermione coming out of Slytherin's locket. They were separate yet at the same time joined.

It was a bit disconcerting seeing himself like this.

Some part of him thought that he should be freaking out at this but a bigger part thought that maybe he should be screaming his head off but the place they were currently in was affecting his behavior.

"You are correct."

Both Harry's looked up at the old man not realizing that he had spoken that last comment out loud.

"Do you not recognize where we are?" the Old man asked.

They were in a hall larger than the Great Hall at Hogwarts with a clear domed glass ceiling.

"This is where Voldemort sent us to after casting the killing curse at us in the forbidden forest." Answered the younger Harry.

"That is correct. Please have a seat." With a gesture of his hand two seats that he did not see before materialized across from each other a respectable distance between them.

The older Harry was not surprised that the younger Harry remembered this place. It seemed that both Harry's could access the memories of their other self.

They both sat down on the seats observing one another.

"I believe you would like to know what is going on." Said the Old man matter-of-factly.

"That would be helpful." Younger Harry shot back sarcastically.

"You are wondering why both of you are joined together like this? He gestured with his hand.

"It's a good place to start." Older Harry replied sternly.

"It is because while you are two different souls at the same time you are the same one because you are the same person. Basically each of you is a part of the same whole. You can access the memories of the other and vice versa."

"Good to know but can you explain how the hell did this occur?" Both Harry's said furiously together.

The old man did not seem offended in the slightest at his tone. "The spell that was placed on your soul---with a nod at older Harry---was designed to combine your two souls into one while also making sure that you would not remember your past life. It was so that you would be able to grow up normally or as normally as possible in your situation."

Seeing them listening he continued, "The spell also had another feature into it. It would also over time combine your magic as you got older. You notice that you were able to do more controlled magic as you got older and started to consciously us your powers."

Both Harry's nodded their heads in agreement at that remembering the many times he used his magic consciously at the orphanage and unconsciously while growing up with the Dursley's and seeing the difference.

"But then why was the sorting hat able to break it then? Shouldn't your powers have been strong enough to prevent the spell from breaking?" Older Harry asked.

"Tell me, do you know why the sorting hat is used to place children in different houses?" the Old man inquired.

"Tradition?" Ventured the younger Harry questionably.

"Partly yes. But more importantly the sorting hat can look into a person's soul and see exactly the type of person they are before sorting them."

"So you're saying that basically the sorting hat can see a person's true self?"Questioned a confused Older Harry.

"Exactly. The founders of Hogwarts were afraid that once they passed on there would be no way to properly sort future students which might cause problems later on. Before the sorting hat was created each person who would want to be a student at Hogwarts would have to pass a test created by the founders." Lectured the Old man.

"Then why didn't they continue to use the tests to sort instead of the sorting hat?"

"Each founder's test was different than the others and they didn't know what the other person's test was. Not even with the prospect of death looming over them would they have revealed it. You see even though the founders worked together and were friends they did not fully trust one another."

"Why didn't they trust each other? I can understand why they wouldn't trust Slytherin but why wouldn't Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor trust each other?" Older Harry inquired.

"The time that they lived in was a very dangerous time for magical beings. They were constantly living in fear of being found out by the non magical population. Even back then muggles outnumbered wizards and witches and they were afraid of the power that wizards possessed. I'm sure you heard about the witch hunts that were being done at the time."

Harry nodded in agreement and gestured for him to continue.

"People with magical powers were being persecuted and executed. Sometimes other magical beings would turn on each other and turn them in hopes of not being sentenced to death themselves. Salazar Slytherin was one of those wizards who was betrayed by what he believed was his muggle best friend and he almost died were it not for the timely arrival of Godric Gryffindor. This is where Slytherin's hatred for muggles began. Together they escaped and eventually met up with Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff who were running from soldiers chasing them. Rowena was the daughter of a noble family and Helga was a servant who worked for Rowena's family. When people found out both of them were magical Rowena's father ordered his soldiers to kill them. They escaped using their powers and were on the run until they met Gryffindor and Slytherin. Eventually they decided that they would have a better chance surviving if they traveled together but there were times when each person would do something questionable that would put the others on guard. It was never an all out betrayal but they were always cautious around each other especially after they created a school for magical people."

Harry was hanging on to the old man's words finding all this fascinating but something was bothering him.

"If that was true then why did they create a school?"

"Hogwarts originally belonged to the Ravenclaw family but had been abandoned since the castle was in need of repairs. Rowena suggested it as a place to stay so they could recuperate since she knew that nobody from her family ever went there. The repairs were easy to make with magic and they fixed it up. Unfortunately for them they didn't know that a person from the nearby village saw them and recognized Rowena from the wanted posters. He contacted the Ravenclaw family and they sent some troops to take care of them. The founders were able to beat them but not without injuries. The only reason they won was because of their magic but they realized that they would need help if they were going to survive the next attack. It was Godric who came up with the idea to recruit other magical beings. The idea worked and the muggles were unable to beat them but at the same time the wizards couldn't overwhelm their numbers so they came to a mutual agreement. The muggles would stop attacking them if the wizards would keep to themselves and take in any person who had magical powers. They agreed and that's how Hogwarts began." He finished.

"Why this was never covered in History of Magic?" Older Harry wondered.

The old man gave a loud laugh at this. "Do you honestly think that if the ministry would admit that the founders were really only together for their own protection and not for the betterment of wizarding society that it would put the school in a favorable light? If they found out that the school only existed because _**wizards **_were not strong enough to beat mere muggles?"

Harry had to admit that it would definitely cause problems especially among the purebloods who thought muggles were beneath them.

"Remember when you found out that the dark arts was taught at Dumstrang how did that make you feel?"

"Not all that great really. It did make me think that the school only produced dark wizards especially after I found out Grindelwald went there. I was worried that maybe one of the Dumstrang students would curse me after I was named the fourth champion in the tournament." Older Harry answered. That had been a troubling time for him being on constant guard during the first few weeks of the tournament.

"So you see what do you think would have happened if people found out the truth now?" Without waiting for Harry to answer he continued, "It would cause even more problems between muggles and wizards. Not that there isn't problems now just that the current situation could be a lot worse."

"This is interesting but can you get to the point already?"Younger Harry snapped. Older Harry had to admit as interesting as it was they really did need answers.

"You are quite right." The old man replied patiently. "The sorting hat was Godric's idea as you know. He thought that if they didn't want to share their methods they should come up with a way that would enable students to be sorted correctly while at the same time preserve each founder's ideas about who they wanted in their house. So Godric had the idea of a sorting hat and placed a part of himself in the hat as well—"

"You mean the sorting hat is a horcrux?" Older Harry interrupted shocked.

"No the hat is not a horcrux. The founders put their personalities into the hat so that they would be able to sort a future student without revealing their secrets. It is similar to the personalities that your father and his friends put in the marauder's map but on a more complex level." Replied the Old Man.

"Oh. Sorry." Harry said sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

"Gryffindor placed a copy of his personality in the hat as well as the other founders. As the years passed the sorting hat whenever it sorts a person gets a small almost negligible amount of power from each student it sorts and stores it. You can imagine that it would build up overtime. Also the castle itself was sentient to a certain extent with all the magic being performed in it and the hat was able to communicate in a way with the castle as well. When you placed the hat on it was able to see your true self and saw a part of it was blocked. The hat was able to see what was blocked and in its wisdom built up over the years believed you would have a better chance if your memories were returned to you. The hat used the magic stored and was able to overwhelm the spell and break it. Since he used brute force to destroy the spell it caused you a good deal of pain in assimilating the memories."

"I'll say. So what happens now? Are you going to reseal my memories now?" Older Harry asked warily.

"No. We will allow you to keep your memories—"

"Yes." Both Harry's cheered.

"But only up till the day you died in the forbidden forest on May 2, 1998. After that all the memories of your past life will be erased. You should also know that we will not be sending you any visions or guides to help you. Now that your memories have been restored we believe that you do not need our input." He completed.

Harry immediately calmed down at this. It dawned on him that he had a little over seven years to defeat Voldemort.

"I see. Is there anything else I should know before you leave me on my own?" Harry retorted angrily.

"Your angry and I understand that but you should know that if we were to interfere too much in the affairs of mortals it would cause an imbalance between good and evil possibly tipping the scale too much towards one side and if that happened the world as you know it could be irrevocably damaged." The old man explained.

"Why would having too much good be a horrible thing?" younger Harry asked confused.

"Balance. It's all about balance. If there is too much evil in the world then how will a person know what is good when all around them they are surrounded by evil and conversely if there is too much good how will a person know what evil is if they have never seen it? Good and evil depend on each other to survive but at the same time detest the fact that the survival of one depends on another."

Harry didn't fully understand it put saw the futility in pursuing the topic.

"Is there anything else you wish to know?" The old man asked.

"Why did you send me to the Dursley's of all places? Why them and not Sirius or Remus?"Older Harry asked.

"It was the farthest place away from the headmaster's control at that time. We needed to make sure that Dumbledore didn't get a hold of you otherwise he would try and mold you into a weapon of his choice. We made sure that the Dursley's would drop you off at an orphanage and not keep you hoping it would help you. We hoped that being raised in a different, less abusive environment you would have more self-worth and confidence as well. As for Remus and Sirius they were still and currently are under Dumbledore's control and would have obeyed his commands believing it for the best." He explained.

Harry didn't want to believe it but he knew it was true. Hell, he followed Dumbledore with the same devotion as everyone else and it got him killed.

"You said that the sorting hat can see a person's true self right?" Older harry asked carefully.

"Right."

"Then why didn't the hat see the part of Voldemort's soul attached to me?" Younger Harry finished.

"Because Voldemort's soul was too entwined with your own soul. The piece of Tom Riddle's soul was in you for ten years by the time you went to Hogwarts. Even though the soul piece wasn't active some of its personality bled into you. Nothing consciously but truthfully there's no telling what he passed on and what is yours." He explained.

"And now?" Harry asked afraid of the answer.

"Honestly, the personality you have will always be a little bit influenced by Tom but" He raised his voice over Harry's shout, "in the end it is up to you to decide whatever it is you would want to do."

"If that is all the questions you have we should really get going." He said.

"Going?"

"Yes you should head back to your body now. Just to let both of you know the minute you wake up you will be disoriented a little. That would be due to the memories you are re assimilating. I would advise you to _properly _learn occlumency to organize your mind. The Room of Requirement would be most helpful in this."

The old man stood up and so did the two Harry's. The area surrounding them swirled around them and they started to fall. Just before they fell Harry asked him one last question.

"What's your name?"

He saw the old man saying something but Harry wasn't able to hear the response. As soon as he finished the question he started falling and he blacked out.

_

* * *

Hospital Wing_

"Uggghhhh." Harry groaned. His body felt like it was on fire. The minute he tried to sit up the room started spinning and his head felt as if was going to split in two. He was about to fall back down but he felt a pair of hands steady him.

"Drink this. It will help."

Harry immediately drank the vial that was placed in front of him and the pain disappeared as well as the room stopped spinning.

"Thanks." Harry coughed out.

"Your welcome dear." The person who spoke was a middle aged woman with brown hair with specks of gray. She had kindly brown eyes that was looking at Harry in obvious concern. "My name is Madam Pomfrey and I am the school healer here at Hogwarts. Just relax for a few minutes I have to call the headmaster here."

With that she got up and left Harry to fetch the Headmaster. Harry looked around the room and saw that he was in the hospital wing. Further inspection showed that he was the only person there. He also saw that there was sunlight outside so he had spent the night here.

_I do think that is a new record Potter. In the Hospital wing before the sorting finished._

His head was no longer throbbing but was more like a dull sting. For a second he wondered what happened but then his memories returned. He remembered his life as a Gryffindor. He remembered all the adventures he had. He remembered the Weasley's, Hermione, Snape, Horcrux's, Dumbledore, everything. He remembered being back in that hall and the conversation he had with the old man.

Before he could ponder his next move the doors to the hospital wing opened and Albus Dumbledore walked in.

"Ah Harry. I'm glad to see you're awake." Dumbledore said jovially.

For a moment Harry felt happiness at the sight of him. No matter what Dumbledore did to him he had this type of aura around him that you couldn't help being drawn to. The feeling faded though when he felt something brush across his mind. Instinctively Harry lowered his eyes breaking eye contact with the headmaster and missing the headmaster frown briefly before replacing it with his grandfatherly smile.

"Thank you sir." Harry said making sure not to look Dumbledore in the eye. As long as he didn't look him in the eye Dumbledore couldn't read his mind.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

"Do you remember what happened, Harry?"

"Yes."

"Do you know why it happened?"

"No"

Dumbledore sighed getting tired of these monosyllabic answers. Worse still was that Harry wasn't making eye contact with him so he couldn't use legilimency on him.

"Do you remember anything that could help us?" Dumbledore asked.

"Nothing sir. Sorry I couldn't be of more help." Harry said shrugging his shoulders.

"Quite alright my boy." Dumbledore affably answered not showing the disappointment he felt. "Anyway since you were…_incapacitated _you were unable to be sorted. You have also missed a day's worth of lessons but nothing that you won't be able to make up for."

"Of course sir. How soon before I can leave?" Harry asked hopefully. He never liked being in the hospital wing more than he had to even in this life.

"That is up to Madam Pomfrey. You would be out by most likely dinner time tonight. After all you still have to be sorted though I daresay you won't have to worry about it seeing that you know how it happens." Dumbledore debated momentarily telling Harry about the changes that happened to him but decided not to. It wasn't too noticeable so hopefully he wouldn't notice.

"If that is all I have some paperwork to finish up." Dumbledore said politely getting up seeing that he wouldn't get anymore answers from Harry.

"Good day sir." Harry replied still not making eye contact. As soon as he was sure Dumbledore left he raised his head.

_Close call Potter. _ Harry thought sighing in relief. His relief was short lived though when Madam Pomfrey came back and told him under no circumstances would he be able to leave until the feast.

_

* * *

Great Hall_

Harry grumbled as he walked out of the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was as usual her overprotective self and he had to wait in the hospital wing all day. The only bright spot came when Hermione visited him during the lunch hour. She gave him a hug which Harry enjoyed a bit too much. She talked about the classes she had so far and how great they were. Harry saw that she was still in Gryffindor and was happy. He couldn't imagine Hermione in any other house but had to keep reminding himself that this Hermione wasn't his Hermione. She didn't stay long since she had afternoon classes and promised to tell him about it later.

Eventually dinner time came and he was able to leave. Madam Pomfrey escorted him down to the Great Hall. The minute he walked in though all eyes turned to him. It seemed as if it was planned. He saw the sorting hat and walked towards it.

Warily he put it on hoping nothing bad was going to happen.

_Ah, back again I see and with your memories this time. Good._

Yeah that's real great. Can we get on with this already?

_Impatient aren't we. Very well. Hmmm. Most intriguing. Your bravery and courage is astounding. You have experienced hardships that most would break under yet faced it and conquered. Your loyalty to others is amazing as well. Your mind is not as bad as well. Intelligent when solving the puzzles you faced and also cunning enough to find the answers to your problems. _

Thanks.

_But at the same time you have learned nothing. That thirst you had to prove yourself all but disappeared. It seemed that the Dursley's view of normality seeped through to you as well. It was different than theirs but you essentially didn't want to deal with all the fame. You still think that all Slytherin's are evil forgetting that people from other houses have joined the Dark Lord, you use your heart more than your head and while that's not necessarily all bad there are times when you should have thought things through instead of rushing in and making a situation worse._

Harry had nothing to say to that. He remembered what the old man said about the sorting hat and how it sees a person's true self. Did he really act like that? About the Dursley's and Slytherin's?

_Difficult to place you it is. You have plenty of courage, loyal to your beliefs and friends, cunning and you do have ambition to rid the world of Voldemort, and when you do use your brain you can figure out the most difficult of problems. _

Gryffindor. Put me in Gryffindor.

_Gryffindor you say? Yes I see in your mind that Gryffindor has been good to you but there is one thing you need to sharpen if you have any hope of surviving what has yet to come. Yes. Yes what you need is not bravery, cunning, or humility. What you need to do is hone your mind and use it as the powerful weapon it is. Indeed it will be your most potent trump card if you use it well. And you would do well in_

"RAVENCLAW!" The sorting hat shouted.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: sorry for the long wait. Finals and work kept me busy. But that's all done now. Hopefully I'll be able to give regular updates but not to sure about that. Hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: if you don't know it by now you really need to see a doctor.**

Chapter 11

_September 16__th__ 1991_

_Life as a Ravenclaw is certainly….different to what I thought it would be. _Thought Harry. He was sitting in the library finishing up his homework. It was a little over two weeks since he was sorted into Ravenclaw and he was still adjusting to all the changes that have occurred.

After he was sorted he joined the Ravenclaw's at their table. They kept shooting him odd looks as if they didn't know if they should be scared of him or studying him. All too used to being stared at he ignored them. After the feast ended and they went back to the Ravenclaw common room after answering the riddle the portrait gave which Harry knew would cause him problems he met Professor Flitwick.

_Or was that re-meeting?_ Shrugging his shoulders at the thought he listened as Professor Flitwick told him the general rules that he had to abide to and gave him a copy of his schedule of classes. Professor Flitwick then introduced the fifth year prefects. One of them was Penelope Clearwater who Harry vaguely remembered as Percy's girlfriend.

She was a pretty girl with long curly hair. She was also very nice and helpful to all the first years and often sat down and talked to them. She was a muggle-born and knew how hard and difficult it was for new students to adjust to the wizarding world.

Harry remembered that Percy never did anything like that when he was in Gryffindor though it could be due to him living all of his life in the wizarding world so he wouldn't know how to relate. Harry had to admit that if he had Penelope as a prefect the first time around it would have made things a whole lot easier.

The other first year Ravenclaw's didn't talk to him much. They mostly just stayed out of his way which he was grateful for. It made it easier for him to not have to interact with them and potentially say something that he shouldn't.

The first day of classes passed by uneventfully. The only note of difference was that most of his classes were with the Hufflepuffs. He had Transfiguration, Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, with the puffs. Herbology and History of Magic with the Slytherin's and Charms with the Gryffindor's but the majority was with the puffs. He found the relationships between the houses were a lot different if you were a Ravenclaw.

Ravenclaw and Slytherin's were on pretty good terms with each other. Unlike the Slytherin/Gryffindor rivalry were its hex first and then hex again and then hex some more and _maybe _ask questions later the Ravenclaw's and Slytherin's were friendly with each other. Even the muggle-born Ravenclaw's were treated better by the pure-bloods but not by much. Hufflepuff's were polite but distant like an acquaintance where you would make idle chit chat but nothing deeper. Gryffindor's ironically rubbed Ravenclaw's the wrong way with their jump first think later mentality. For a Ravenclaw acting without thinking was virtually unheard of.

Harry could see why they would dislike thinking that way without all of the facts. That type of thinking goes against everything Ravenclaw's stand for and knew from experience how bad things got if you didn't have all the facts. The fiasco at the ministry and his suspicions about Snape were two of many things that proved what happens when you.

_Don't think about that. _Thought Harry feeling overwhelmed by the emotions and the memories they evoked. He used what little skill he had at Occlumency to try and calm himself down. It took a t least five minutes but eventually he was able to calm down. It still took him some effort to use the skill effectively.

Remembering the old man's advice he went to the Room of Requirement wondering how it could help him with Occlumency. The events that proceeded after that Harry would not forget for a long time.

_Flashback_

_Harry had waited for the rest of his room mates to fall asleep before he left. It was around 1:30 a.m. when he finally made his move. He decided to go at night after his first day of classes were done but couldn't escape from the prefects quick enough so he had to wait when everyone was asleep. _

_He made his way out of the Ravenclaw dormitory silently since he didn't have the marauder's map or his invisibility cloak. Luckily he had no problems getting to the ROR. He paced around the door three times thinking… "I need a place to learn occlumency…."_

_After his third pass the door appeared and he went in. The inside was practically bare. The only things in the room were a couch and a bowl on a pedestal. Getting closer Harry saw that the bowl was actually a pensieve. _

"_Okay I'm here so now what?"Harry said to the empty room._

"_Now you learn" was the reply. Harry turned at the sound of the voice and saw that it was the sorting hat and he was on the couch._

"_How'd you get here?"Harry asked shocked. He didn't see him when he first entered the room and was pretty sure the hat didn't just walk here._

"_Hogwarts brought me here to this room." The hat replied._

"_Why you?" Asked Harry as he sat down on the couch and put the hat on._

"_You asked Hogwarts to help you with something and it provided the best solution available. In this case it was me." Was the reply._

"_Oh." Was all Harry said. _Makes sense. The room thought the best way to help me was with the sorting hat so it brought it here_**.**_

"_So the room brought you here to help me learn Occlumency?"questioned Harry._

"_If that is what you required the room to help you with then yes that is why I am here. So shall we get started?" _

_Harry could only nod in agreement._

"_Very well. First tell me what do you know of Occlumency?" asked the sorting hat._

"_Well… I know that it involves clearing the mind of all thought and emotion . You need to be able to resist the attack similar to the imperious curse. Oh and if your skilled enough you would be able to lie to other Legilimens without being caught." Answered Harry._

"_Good but there are some things you missed. Firstly Occlumency is not only useful to stop external penetration but also internal."_

"_Internal?"_

"_Yes. A person who has mastered Occlumency also masters their own mind. They would be able to remove the part of the mind that causes a person to doubt themselves as well as all the emotions they believe would be harmful to them. If a person has a fear that paralyzes them from acting and if they know occlumency then they can use it to box up that fear and push it to the side long enough to get the job done. But since most people's minds are not that disciplined the art is not really taught anymore. It takes a person who already has an impressive mental discipline and shows them how to use it."_

"_Bloody hell. So what you're saying that if a person masters Occlumency they could fill themselves up with only positive emotions and not feel any negative emotions as well?"Exclaimed Harry._

"_Yes what I say is true but you must remember that you can compartmentalize the negative emotions but you could never fully get rid of them. Bad emotions are needed just as much as good emotions to keep a person in balance." The hat lectured._

There's that balance thing again. _"Is that it?"_

"_No that is not it." The Sorting hat huffed. "Young people today have no patience." _

"_Yeah, yeah I'm sorry. Can we get on with it?"Harry replied with a wave of his hand. The hat glared at Harry from the top of his head for a moment before continuing._

"_Another benefit to mastering Occlumency is that it helps a person achieve their full magical potential."_

"_How does that help?" _

"_Occlumency used to be a class taught at Hogwarts. It was an optional class that any person fourth year and above who wished to take it could. Very few people had the skill to be a true Occlumens but most people are able to pick up the basics. It is only the truly gifted that can master the art. From your memories of your past life did you never wonder how Voldemort learned all that he did? How by the time he was a sixth year student he was able to do the darkest rituals of black magic? Where and how was he able to learn and actually do all that when he spent the majority of his time at Hogwarts? How he was able to plant a false memory that managed to fool the whole department of Magical Law Enforcement and which even took Dumbledore considerable talent to break? Or how he was able to frame your friend Hagrid for causing the death of Myrtle when the creature he had kills with poison and there was no trace of it in her body?" The hat listed off._

_Harry had to admit he never thought much about where or how Voldemort learned it all. He was more concerned with how he was able to stay alive and getting out of whatever situation he was in. But now that the hat said it he started to wonder. How was a student even an exceptionally bright one able to do all that? Not even Hermione with all of her considerable level of intelligence would have been able to do all that. He remembered when Hermione explained what she did to her parents that even erasing her parent's minds of herself and creating new identities took a lot of skill as the slightest error could cause irreparable damage.. She wasn't able to make a full detailed set of memories of their new lives. It took years of practice to do something like that and there was always the chance that the process would mess up because the human mind was unpredictable and not enough was known about it. She was only able to make a superficial memory set which any decent obliviator could break. Which begged the question how was Voldemort able to do it to his uncle? He knew by that time Voldemort had already made the diary horcrux and had just finished making the ring horcrux._

"_So then how was he able to do all that then?" Harry asked the sorting hat after thinking it over._

"_I do not know how he was able to learn all about the horcrux ritual but I do know that before Dumbledore became headmaster the Hogwarts library did house dark tomes. None of those books actually showed how it was done but it was more as a reference guide. Dark magic was studied at Hogwarts, never taught, but the theory of it was explained. I could guess that Voldemort might have found out how do it from there or at least where to find how to do it. As for the other stuff Occlumency was able to help him immensely." The sorting hat explained._

"_How?"_

"_I told you that Occlumency was able to help a person realize their full magical potential. Most witches and wizards use magic put only a certain percentage of it. Much like how a person only uses a certain percentage of their brain. A person who masters Occlumency would be able to use their full magical power. They would be able to do feats of magic that no ordinary witch or wizard could. Sometimes hidden magical abilities could be found, like speaking to animals for example."_

_Harry was amazed. If Snape had explained all this before he would have studied Occlumency a lot more. No, actually he realized he still might not have. Snape did not really teach him much and he was only able to block Voldemort after the events of Malfoy Manor. He shivered at the last thought remembering all the pain and heartache he endured over there._

"_But that still doesn't explain how Voldemort was able to fool the DMLE?" Harry questioned._

"_The class that taught Occlumency also taught the students how to plant false memories and how to uncover them. An Occlumens can be obliviated like any other person but it is more difficult because the shields that are in place can protect the Occlumens mind. Only a person whose magic is stronger than the Occlumens would be able to accomplish it." The hat said._

"_Why would the school teach that to its students?" Harry wondered out loud._

"_Because the laws at that time allowed it. Before Voldemort's rise to power all Hogwarts students were required to learn how to use the memory charm so that if a situation that exposed a witch or wizard happened then they would be able to use it to keep the existence of the wizarding world a secret. The Obliviator headquarters were constantly on call because of the war with Grindelwald as well as the muggle second world war. They were stretched thin so the ministry decided to temporarily rescind the restrictions on obliviation until after the war was over."_

"_Oh" He remembered in primary school a bit about WWII but they never talked about how bad it was, probably because of their age. "So if Occlumency was an optional class then why isn't it taught today?" asked Harry._

"_The teacher at the time felt guilty that it was his teachings that helped Voldemort become so powerful that he vowed to never teach the skill to another no matter what the situation. He believed that he should have known what was going to happen since he has glimpsed into Voldemort's mind. Also there are very few true master Occlumens and Legilimens in the world today that could successfully teach the art that the class was disbanded." The sorting hat answered._

"_Who was the teacher? Maybe if I met him and explained the situation somewhat he would be sympathetic and help me. Or is that person someone who values blood purity?" _

"_It won't do you any good to ask. He wouldn't do it anyway because the person who taught it was Dumbledore." Explained the hat._

_Harry couldn't believe it. Dumbledore. He knew he taught Transfiguration before McGonagall but not about the Occlumency. He remembered Dumbledore telling him that he kept his distance because he thought that if Voldemort knew about the connection he would use it against him. He was right about that but he thought that it was the only reason why he didn't teach him. _

_It made sense at the time when he thought about it but then why did he not continue the lessons? Dumbledore believed that Voldemort wouldn't try to do something like that again and for the most part he didn't. He didn't like Occlumency and was more than happy to stop the lessons but he could see now how fucking stupid that was. Even if Voldemort didn't attack his mind Snape was able to and because of that he got his ass royally handed to him. _

_Even remembering that event burned him like no other. It was the first time that he was truly and utterly defeated. It wasn't even like Snape getting a lucky hit. He beat him with skill and cunning while he attacked with everything he had. Every challenge he faced ever since he got to Hogwarts he was able to overcome. _

_The troll on Halloween, Voldemort cursing his broom during Quidditch, the traps guarding the stone, facing Voldemort and beating him and that was in his first year alone._

_Second year, finding the Chamber of Secrets, exposing Lockheart as a fraud, finding out that it was a basilisk that was petrifying the students, going into the chamber fighting the sixteen year old Tom Riddle who would later become Lord Voldemort, killing the basilisk and the diary-horcrux and saving Ginny._

_Third year, dementors werewolves, traitors, and escaped convicts._

_Fourth year, the Tri-wizard tournament, doing all the tasks and becoming champion, Dueling Voldemort-VOLDEMORT-and escaping._

_Fifth year with the ministry sending Dementors to the farce of a trial, DOM, the DA._

_Sixth year was when he experienced it. Up till that time he believed that he could beat Voldemort but the duel with Snape showed just how much he was not ready._

_All through what would have been his seventh year the doubt plagued him. He never voiced it to anyone but it was always there in the back of his mind. It was also one of the reasons why he didn't fight back in the forest. It wasn't his main reason but it was a contributing factor. The part of him that didn't believe he was strong enough was brought home when he saw James Potter duel Voldemort. _

_His father was only a few years older but he had so much more skill yet he still lost. He always looked up to his father even though he never knew him. Everybody always said how skilled and talented he was. Even McGonagall praised his skill and she was a hard person to please. But seeing his death brought it all home to him like no other death before which showed him that he wasn't ready. _

_So he chose not to go back to the forest and instead took the path that would hopefully give him more time and maybe he could get strong enough to beat him. _

_Harry shook his head trying to clear the memories that it brought up. That was then and this is now. He was a different person then. But still it sometimes felt like that personality was taking over his current one and he didn't know which person he was. _

_Was he Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, Gryffindor or was he Harry Potter part of The-Family-Who-Conquered and a Ravenclaw?_

_ He did not know who he was anymore. _

"_You are both of them and yet neither of them at the same time." The sorting hat said. "At one time you were either one of those people but you are no longer. You are an entirely new Harry Potter who has grown up being bullied and at the same time being a bully. Your experiences are what shape you as a person. They play a vital role in your development but at the end it is you and your nature that decide who you are at the end. The question is who will you be?"_

_Harry had no answer to that. He wasn't sure who he was anymore. He was so confused and lost._

"_Think it over. You don't have to answer me or anybody else. Just answer the question to yourself because in the end if you are happy with who you are then the rest will fall into place. But you should also accept the responsibility for the actions made previously because you did make them."_

"_What were we talking about again? I lost track." Harry said steering the conversation away from questions he didn't have any answers for._

"_We were talking about Dumbledore and how he stopped teaching Occlumency?" The Hat reminded him. _

_It came back to him now. How Dumbledore believed he should have known. Sure, he knew that the old man made mistakes but this was unbelievable! It was stupid of him to blame himself for how Tom Riddle turned out. He didn't have any control over the choices Tom made and besides it wasn't his responsibility to decide what Riddle should or should not do. Only Tom could make that choice. _

"_I agree." The hat said unexpectedly. Harry jumped up startled. He forgot that he had the hat on and it could read his mind as well. "I agree with what you said but who are you to decide if he should or should not blame himself?"_

"_Because anybody with half a brain could see that it was Tom Riddle who made the choice to do all that, not Dumbledore. Even though he glimpsed into his mind he had no idea how dark Tom's true nature was." Harry didn't expect this. He thought the hat would agree with him but it seems as if he didn't._

"_True but he also knew Tom Riddle was not as good as he pretended to be. Didn't diary-Tom tell you that Dumbledore kept a close eye on him after Slytherin's chamber was opened? Did Dumbledore not say himself that he resolved to watch Tom after his visit to the orphanage? Is it not the responsibility of a teacher to help their students whenever they need it even if the student doesn't believe they need any help?"The hat countered._

"_Yeah but…" Harry trailed off._

"_But what?" The hat asked._

"_But even though Dumbledore said he watched Riddle it was not up to him to decide what Riddle could or could not do. As a teacher he was obligated to help but that can only take you so far if the student doesn't meet you half way. No matter what he thought he should have done and as much as I hate to admit it Professor Dumbledore didn't have the right to make Tom's choices for him. Only Tom could make Tom's choices." Harry finished off passionately._

"_Do you believe that? Truly, with all your heart?" the hat inquired._

"_I do."_

"_Then why do you still blame yourself for the death's of your parents, Cedric Diggory, your godfather Sirius, Remus and Tonks, Fred, Dumbledore, and countless others?" the hat asked._

"_I…." _

"_Why do you continue to blame yourself for their actions or the actions that Voldemort has done? They made the choice not you and it's high time that you accept it." The hat explained._

_And he brought back up the topic Harry was desperately trying to forget. His actions as well as whom he was. Harry knew intellectually that he wasn't at fault. He did not force any of them to do anything they didn't want to do. They chose to do it of their own will because that was what they believed to be right but his heart couldn't accept it. If he did then it felt as if he was shaming them somehow by not blaming himself. _

_The hat was right though. He just said it himself that it was the responsibility of the person to decide what is right for them. He knew that but couldn't accept it then blinded by his grief. They died and he lived because of the choices that were made and it was not his fault. But he wasn't sure he could take that last step yet._

"_Think it over. You have had a very tiring night. We will continue this when you are rested and ready to continue." The hat said before disappearing from his head. _

_End Flashback_

He didn't even remember leaving the room of requirement and getting back to the Ravenclaw dormitory. He didn't go back to the ROR after that. He was scared at what would happen if he did go back. Since then he hasn't gone backto the room and therefore he wasn't able to work on his occlumency at all.

Usually he would try and bury himself in quidditch but since that wasn't an option he buried himself in his schoolwork instead. Having experienced this once before helped Harry a lot but there were still things he forgot.

He was more used to classes having practical work more than theory but first year students were taught more theory than practical. He had to re-read passages from the first year textbooks. Though he sometimes forgot some fact he was more than able to cover it up. Of course having six years of magical education helped.

He was at the top of all of his classes with Hermione trailing closely behind him. Part of him, the Gryffindor part felt guilty that he was somehow cheating but the Ravenclaw side of him shut that up believing that he should be taking every advantage that he can get.

The Ravenclaw side won so Harry used it to great affect. Of course showing how easy it was the teachers started praising his skills. Only a select few knew who he truly was. Hell, even potions with Snape were bearable. He did ask Harry questions above the first year level but he was able to answer them all and his potion came out perfect. After that Snape tended to ignore him but there was a look in his eye that seemed to be appraising him. He was pretty sure Snape knew who he was but so far he's treated him like any non-Slytherin student. With insults and snide comments but even those were few. Professor McGonagall said his father was a prodigy and he must have inherited his skill with a wand.

Speaking of his wand he was of two minds about it. His Yew and Basilisk fang felt just as good as his Holly and Phoenix feather wand but it felt like it was an insult to use this wand. Still it worked well and he had no complaints.

Finishing up his work he packed up his stuff and was ready to leave. The library was empty except for Harry and a few other older students. It was only the beginning of the school year so most wouldn't be in the library. He put the book he was borrowing back on the shelf and was about to leave when he heard a sound.

Standing still Harry listened without making a noise. He was about to give up thinking it was his imagination but he heard the sound again. He walked down the aisle to the end and saw a sight that broke his heart.

Hermione was sitting on the floor hugging her legs to her chest and burying her head in it. She was in her school robes. Her book bag was next to her with her books falling out. She looked like she was trying to suppress her tears and sob but the occasional sound got through. He didn't know that he was able to hear it because of what happened when the hat unblocked his memories.

"Hermione?" Harry said softly.

Hermione jumped up startled at the sound. She didn't hear anybody come up to her. She saw it was harry and tried to give him a smile.

"Oh Harry. How are you? I was just sitting for a minute. There was something in my eye and I was just getting rid of it. Did you finish Professor Flitwick's essay? I did but wasn't too sure if I should add anymore about the different types of household charms used. I already added the cleaning charm, air-freshening, and the sewing charm. I know he said choose only one and explain it but I decided to add more." Hermione rambled trying to deflect attention away from her.

"Hermione." Harry said firmly stopping her mid-rant. She immediately quieted down. "What happened?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Just me overreacting. That's all. No need to concern yourself." Hermione said bossily but Harry could see that her self-control was hanging by a thread.

"Hermione. Please don't lie to me. I thought we were friends and friends don't lie to each other." Harry said determinedly trying to figure out the answer.

Whatever he was expecting it wasn't this. She wasn't crying but looking at Harry with a look of wonder and hope?

"Friends? You think of me as a friend?" Hermione asked with a tone of shock.

"Well yeah. At least I thought we were. I mean… if you don't want to cause were in different houses but…if you…" Harry trailed off embarrassed. He didn't think that Hermione didn't want to be his friend. Was it because he was in a different house?

"NO. I mean I think of you as a friend. It's just… oh this is so embarrassing. Promise me you won't laugh." Hermione looked at him sternly daring him to disagree.

"Promise." Harry said.

"It's just that I've never had a friend before. I was just shocked you thought of me as one. People just make fun of me and mock my intelligence and nobody wants to be friends with the know-it-all." Hermione revealed. She looked into his eyes expecting him to laugh but she saw only understanding and concern.

"Is that why you were crying before? Some people called you names." Harry asked perceptively.

Hermione only nodded in agreement. It was painful for her to talk about it.

"Who was it?" Harry said with barely suppressed anger. His emotions were all over the place recently but anger he could deal with. It made things so much easier.

"Don't. It doesn't matter. It was stupid of me to let it bother me. Please don't do anything that will get you in trouble. Not for me." Hermione pleaded.

Harry seeing the distress on her face calmed down. "Sorry but your wrong about one thing. You are worth it even if I get in trouble."

"Thank you." Hermione said gratefully giving him a small smile. It seemed finding out she did have a friend seemed to cheer her up.

"No problem." Harry replied sheepishly running his hand through his hair. Looking at his watch he saw that it was almost time for curfew to be enforced. "We'd better get back to our rooms. It's almost time for our curfew."

"Your right."

Together the walked out of the library in silence. It wasn't an awkward one, more like a comfortable one where an unconscious agreement was met. The eventually reached an area where there was a split in the hallway.

"My dormitory's that way." Hermione gestured with her hand.

"I'm the other way." Harry replied. It was clear that neither wanted to go but knew they had to.

"Anyway I'll see you tomorrow." Hermione started to walk away. She only walked ten steps before Harry called her again.

"Yes?" Hermione questioned.

"Remember no matter what they say it's only words at the end. They can only hurt you if you let it." Harry advised.

"Thanks. I'll remember that." With a wave of her hand she left.

Harry saw her walk off with a smile on his face. Even though his life was constantly changing he could always count on Hermione to be there. He didn't know how much he missed her until he saw her on the floor crying. He just knew he had to help her but why? Was it his Gryffindor side compelling him, his morals, or something else entirely? He had no idea but knew he needed her but perhaps that was enough for now.


End file.
